Tales of a Rising Master
by SuperPokeGal123
Summary: Sequel to Ash's Realization. After reuniting with the mysterious lady from his past, Ash sets off to train himself in the Tree of Beginning. He has to find all his Aspects and then deal with Mew complicating things to make them 'interesting'. Serena has a lot on her mind, too, being the only psychic guardian left alive. Will they overcome their trials? Aura Ash. Amourshipping. AU
1. What Even Is My Life Now?

**A/N: Hey-oh, my wonderful readers! Happy New Years and thank you for stumbling onto my story!**

 **For those who didn't read _Ash's Realization_ or hasn't read it in a while, this prologue should be a good summary what happened last book without having to go through almost 500,000 words of reading. If you want to continue past this point, then please, go ahead. If not, that's alright, too. I just hope everyone has a lovely day. Happy reading!**

 **Certain things make note of:**

"..."- This denotes regular speech

 _"..." This denotes thoughts, flashback or telepathy when stated directly._

 **"..." This denotes a Pokemon's speech.**

 ** _"..." This denotes a Pokemon's thoughts or telepathy or Pokemon speech in flashbacks when stated directly._**

 **"(...)" (This denotes a Pokemon's speech, but only select characters can understand it).**

* * *

 _"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." -Lao Tzu_

* * *

 _Tales of a Rising Master_

Chapter ?: What Even Is My Life Now?

Um… hey? I'm not sure how to start one of these things. My mom suggested it to me as a way to keep track of my thoughts if I'm ever feeling overwhelmed or if I feel like it. I don't usually write things like this, but hey, I might as well start somewhere. Now that I have some time to myself, that is.

I'm not even sure where to begin. Speaking about my mom is so… strange… at this point.

Up until about two weeks ago, I thought my mom was a woman named Delilah Twilight. I didn't know my dad, but we lived happily in our house in Pallet Town. She was often very nice, although she could be a little embarrassing to me at times. Going on those journeys and her freedom with them felt great. I often was afraid that I wasn't giving her enough credit or attention. When I was a younger kid, I was thinking moreso about the new Pokémon I would meet.

Now, I never want to see her again. Every time I think of Delia, I feel myself get so… angry. It's a scary type of anger, too. I feel like I'm capable of breaking her neck the next time I see her. I… don't like having those type of emotions. It doesn't feel like me. A lot has happened since I ended my journey in Kalos.

When I reached Kanto after finishing up the Kalos League, I found out that my real mother's name is Auroralia Ketchum… or Aurora for short. She doesn't like being called Auroralia to the point where I found out that was her name the same day I started to live with her. She's weird, but caring and adventurous.

Anyway, apparently, she lost her memory of me after being knocked unconscious protecting me nine years ago from this group called the Zurui. The Zurui is this ragtag group of mostly psychics that hates guardians and wants psychics and guardians to remain segregated from each other. They want to use their patron legendary to achieve this, too. The Zurui saw my mom as a threat to their plans and tried to kill her and kidnap me. For the most part, it worked. Unfortunately for them, my mom survived, eventually regained her memory of me and took me back from my fake mother.

All in the while, I was linked aura-wise to Mom because of the legendary Pokémon Mew. She did that to allow one of us to find the other if we regained our memory of one another and to allow us to get stronger. The ambush that left Mom on death's door caused her brain to be without oxygen for more than five minutes. This caused her to lose her memory on a lot of things that she had to work toward getting back. I lost my memory when Delia stole them, so I would regard her as my mom.

Mew linked us together as a trial of sorts. Mew always wants Mom and I to improve, whether we think it's right or wrong. So, she used our other sides' anger against us to help us get stronger. Our counterbalances had been suppressed when Mom and I lost our memories and they took their anger out on us. Mew gifted Ketchums with a counterbalance to their personality similar to how Arceus is her counterbalance, but separated. My counterbalance is kind of like me, but is much more distant and cold to people.

Mew made the Ketchums and our psychic counterparts, the Malladuses, the most like her when she first creating humans, so that makes us the most powerful of the guardians and psychics respectively. I can switch to Ashton at will and he makes my eyes red when he's out.

This grants my family a lot of strength, but… piss off our counterbalance and they become more of a hinderance. I can't tell you how many times Ashton has made my head hurt when I disagreed with him. Now that the whole life-threatening link is over and I remember Mom, both Mom and I have been on pretty good terms with our counterbalances. Arceus, this is so weird to think and to be serious about reflecting. Having another side of myself is even weirder than my brand of strange seeing all those legendaries on my journey.

My home region… my real home region, Hokori, even has a section of cities that practice separation between guardians and psychics. It's horrible thinking about it. I want to do something about it, but I know I'm not strong enough. I've been in situations other trainers never hoped to dream of. I've had so many encounters with legendaries and evil teams. You name it, I likely been through it. However, from how Mom is describing it, Hokori seems like it's an entirely different sort of beast.

My mother is actually the Champion of the Hokori region. She's scary strong and skilled with both Pokémon and aura. I've seen her in battle. She battles just like me, but her style is more refined and unpredictable. I felt this personally when I faced her in the finals of the Kalos League and later again at the back of Clemont's house. She knows how to play to your weaknesses and that's something I want to be able to do when I get stronger. I know I have a lot to learn and I want to learn from one of the best.

My mom lives in the Tree of Beginning, in a secluded part of the forest. She has a berry tree garden in front of the house and a battlefield past that. The whole place screams nature. The air there smells so good and fresh and I almost always see some Pokémon hanging out near her house. It's crazy how many Pokémon she's met in her life. She told me a lot of my father's Pokémon live in the Tree, too. Since living with her, I needed to transfer all of my Pokémon over from Professor Oak's lab.

Although the professor was sad to see them go, he was totally understanding and helped in the effort. I started to learn more about him and his past, like how often Celebi and him interact or some of his interest in scholarly things. I've never been too much of an academic person, but I love when he talks about his adventures with his Pokémon. I could feel my marks glowing in excitement when he talks about some of the close calls he's had with his Dragonite in the past. The professor is stronger than I imagined him to be.

Now, all my Pokémon roam freely in different parts of the tree. I find them doing their own thing most of the time throughout the tree. I made sure to check up on them at least once because I don't want to forget about anyone again. I recently told Bulbasaur that along with Pikachu, Greninja and Charizard that they are my guardian partners. Bulbasaur seemed so excited to connect with me more. I'm excited, too, especially since I'm going out tomorrow to catch the last two of my partners.

Even though it's been a couple of weeks since I started to live with Mom, my time here have been both toughest and the best in my life. Mom makes learning things interesting. Instead of just telling me things, she does it with me. She never yells if I do something wrong or sighs in disappointment. She's really patient with me and I appreciate that. Her smile helps to keep me going even when I get frustrated with doing something like making a cupcake.

I only started to delve into more aura things today, but before that, Mom has been teaching me how to take care of myself. She's also been helping me learn how to fight hand to hand again. I feel a lot of my movement is natural and I'm enjoying myself. I've not been able to lay a hand on Mom while sparring, but that's because she's super experienced. I know I'm not going to surprise her too much as I've just started and that's okay. I know I'll get better. I dread when I have to use what I've learned against other people, though.

Mom also showed me a few recipes I could use and how I could use my powers to find berries to incorporate into these dishes. What she makes is very healthy, but delicious, too.

I… struggled quite a bit trying to grasp the basics of self-sustaining myself. I didn't realize how much I leaned on my friends to help me. I felt as though I was useless on my own. However, Mom was slow and patient with me. She even got her mother to try helping me out. They know that Delia didn't really teach me much, so they decided to fill in for lost time. I think I can locate different berries, identify them and use them both for healing Pokémon and cooking basic foods. It's all thanks to them. I still don't know how to cook too well, but I'll get there.

I really like my maternal grandmother, actually. She's super sweet and she's even more handy than Mom. Her name is Alison, but I see my grandpa call her Alice. The main thing that separates Mom and Grandma is that her temper is even scarier than Mom's. I even see her hair point up like devil horns when she's fuming. I've only seen her like that toward Grandpa, but I don't want her to ever look at me like that.

Grandpa is much rougher than both of them, though. His name is Gordon, but I see Grandma call him Gordo. I heard from Mom that he has been keeping up a psychic barrier to prevent foreign psychics from entering the Tree to interfere with my training. Mom really tried her best to make sure I stay as comfortable and focused as possible. Sometimes, Grandpa delegates the duty to Mew, but I can tell he's super exhausted.

The first thing my grandparents did when they saw me for the first time in nine years was stand there in shock. It seemed like I was a bit of a ghost to them. Once their surprise was gone, they both gave me a big hug, though getting hugged by anyone in the family can get you crushed if you're not careful. I even saw them both crying, but Grandpa was trying to hide his tears more. We've reached a bit of a status quo at the Tree since they got used to seeing me again.

I really like that my family is bigger than I thought. For the longest time, I thought my mom was my only family. I'm glad to see that I have a grandma and grandpa. If only I knew where Dad is…

When Grandpa isn't tired, I noticed he can be rude when talking to or about psychics. Grandma is the same way, but she's a bit more discreet. The only person here that is a little bit psychic here is Serena. Serena is only half psychic and half guardian, though. I don't think Grandpa or Grandma likes Serena for that reason. I don't like that, but Mom told me that they won't change and that she has encouraged them to be more open in the past. Mom has tried to make sure Serena keeps her distance from her parents and has apologized for their behavior time and time again. I can only imagine how the rest of Hokori is like if Grandma and Grandpa are so racist.

Speaking of Serena, she's here with me. Mom makes sure we don't sleep in the same room, but I'm not sure why. Still, I find it strange to be in a relationship with her. Considering how dense I am at times, I am not sure how I ended up with someone so great like her. Serena has helped me so much since Mom found me again and she's helped me to keep my emotions in check. Just thinking about her makes my heart soothe… and I feel so appreciative that she's committed to being here with me. I hope nothing ever happens to her. It would rip my heart apart.

Mom has been helping Serena with her performances since she had been a Coordinator at some point in her life. She's also enlisted the help of two of her friends from the Hokori region. Mirabelle has been trying to help Serena tap into her psychic side since she's a master psychic and the Psychic-type Elite Four specialist in the Hokori region. Raven, a dusk guardian and an dark aura master, has been helping train Serena with her guardian side. Mirabelle looks a lot like Anabel. I wonder if she is her mother. Raven seems slightly creepy at times, but she's super sweet, even helping defend Serena from my grandparents, just like Mom does.

I heard from Serena herself that she prefers Raven teaching her guardian stuff over Mom, despite Mom being more powerful and experienced. She told me how close she and Raven was in the past and wanted to find out more about her through training. I respect that. It seems like some of what I told her got through since Serena doesn't like training much.

It's crazy how much Serena been through, too. She didn't go through some sort of life changing separation like I did, but she dealt with her powers being suppressed for most of her life. Only when she met Mom was when she began delving into her own latent power. Actually, I'm not too sure if Serena has a good relationship with her mother. She's always so sore when she mentions Ms. Grace. I can only imagine.

I have yet to see Grace come and visit us here in the Tree of the Beginning. I'm not even sure if she knows where Serena is. I've told Serena that she should talk with her mom, but Serena always changes the topic or brushes me away. I'm not sure what's in her head, but I hope that things will get better for her. I have a lot that's in my mind, too.

The Second Great Prophecy… if I'm going to ever see Dad at some point in my life… if I'm going to meet my mother's expectations of me… all these things are flooding my mind. I don't let people know about these things because I don't want them to worry about me. However, I do see Mom stare into me at times, almost as if she's noticed. I feel like she might want to talk to me about everything soon.

This is the beginning of my new life. I need to make the most of it and I'll be happy to do it with my real family and Serena. I have to keep going and never think of the past. When I do, my head begins hurting. I can't ever let what happened when I confronted Delia happen again. I don't want to be like that to anyone. I saw the look in her eyes… she was terrified of me. Serena was, too.

As long as I'm still breathing, I will do what I can to protect those I love. I just hope I won't go overboard.

Hmm… Mom was right. I do feel a little better writing out all my thoughts. I feel a little liberated. Er… at least, I think that's how I use the word 'liberated'. My other self is usually better with bigger words, snider comments and… well, smarter things in general. Heh… I can feel him cringing in me now. He's wondering what's wrong with me. I'm not sure at this point, either. Anyway, I think it's time for me to head to bed.

Tomorrow is the day I begin to search for the guardian partners I don't have already. Mom talked about how certain Pokémon strengthens my aura due to having a bond that fits me the most. The more guardian partners, the stronger the base guardian is. She called them Aspects of myself. I can't wait to find Larvitar and Lucario and get to know them better!

Um… I'm really sure how to end this, so I'll write… Ash Ketchum signing off!

* * *

 **A/N: Chapters will be around this length typically (no more than 6000 words) and the story is faster paced than the previous book. This was a conscious choice as I grew a little annoyed at my own verbosity. Hopefully, the chapters being shorter won't hinder the reading experience.** **For those who read the previous book, I hope you enjoyed the first person point of view callback/parallel! The story won't be in first person and is instead in third person.**

 **Also, for those who didn't read the previous book... Hello! Pleased to make your acquaintance! I hope you'll stick around for the ride. If you want to stay updated on my progress on each chapter, feel free to head to my profile! I only update when I finish a chapter. Once again, happy reading!**

 **First chapter: Setting Expectations**

 **~SPG123~**


	2. Setting Expectations

**A/N: Welcome to the first official chapter of _Tales of a Rising Master_! It should set things up for what's to come. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, but I do own this story idea. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo!**

* * *

 _The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.- Nathaniel Branden_

* * *

Chapter 1: Setting Expectations

The Tree of Beginning, a mystical place full of wonder and secrets, was also the place full of misery and despair. At least, it was going to be a place of misery. Ash Ketchum realized this immediately upon arriving to the site. The first time he was here, he had needed to find Pikachu after an infamous legendary kidnapped him. That adventure was already a doozy. Why is he here now? To train his body, mind and Pokémon, of course.

Ash loved to train with himself and his Pokémon. That was his life.

Ash was now standing outside of his new house with Serena, Aurora and his two grandparents. The house was must more rustic and natural looking than both his old home and his father's old ranch. There were several berry trees surrounding the place with a narrow path leading to the door. The house looked like it was made completely of some sort of refined wood. It looked like it was recently renovated just for him.

Ash noticed small little Pokémon passing through the berry trees. They seemed like they belonged here. The house screamed nature. It made sense considering the type of mother he had. She was nomadic in nature and relied on natural materials for medicine and food. The odd thing about this was that as a Champion, she made a lot of money so she didn't need to do that. She chose to have a humbler lifestyle.

"So, young one, who are you planning on heading to first? Larvitar or Lucario?" Aurora asked.

Aurora had a moon shaped bang with long spiky black that went down to her knees. She recently put her hair back into a long braid, though. She had a large blue bow with a mega evaluation insignia on the back of her head. Her yellow eyes were very amicable, but make her mad or annoyed and they would send shivers down anyone's spine. She wore black linen pants and a blue short sleeved shirt with a 'z' on it. She also had a black hooded cloak draped around herself, too. She seemed so excited for him.

Ash sighed to himself. He never imagined his life would change so much after finishing the Kalos league and returning to Kanto. So much had happened in the past two weeks he could barely believe it. His previous life was a lie, but he hoped that he could change this life into truth.

At his side was his girlfriend, Serena Paschall. Ash's mother decided it was OK for Serena to stay with them as Ash trained. Aurora wanted to also make Serena as comfortable as possible while living in her home. The only caveat was that Ash and Serena stayed in separate rooms. Ash's mom knew how much they cared for one another, but felt like they shouldn't be in the same room in fear of the future if something happened between them. The thought of it made her head hurt.

Things had changed for Serena almost as much as they did for Ash. Being told that she was the last remaining psychic guardian hybrid because of some prophecy that made psychics and guardians hesitant to mingle was a lot to take in. Also being told that her own mother was suppressing her powers and hiding people that knew her fondly also stung. However, the honey blond decided to focus on the positive. And that was Ash.

Ash put a finger on his chin. He didn't really think about it too much. Then, he snapped his fingers and said, "I'll head to Sinnoh first to get Lucario since she knows to expect me soon. I also know where she is. Then, I'll try finding Larvitar as I'm heading back here."

The yellow eyed lady chucked. Aurora answered, "That's understandable. I suggest you only bring your guardian partners with you on your mini journey. It makes the rekindling that much more special and something cool may happen if you do."

"I already had that planned. I have only my partners with me, but what is this reward?" Ash asked, now curious.

"Haha… I'm not going to ruin that surprise for you. Go and see for yourself. While you're out finding your partners, I need to head back to Hokori for a few days." Aurora told him.

"Aww… how come?" Ash was very disappointed. He really liked seeing his mother, so it felt odd to suddenly not see her when he came back home.

"I'm still Champion, so there are a lot of duties I need to fill. I also need to check in on the people and accept any challengers who want to beat me for my title. I've been focusing my time on you for about a month from gathering the badges needed to enter the Kalos League to training you now. Now that I see that you're stable, I need to normalize things again." Aurora explained.

"Does this mean I won't see you as much now?" Ash asked.

"I need to touch base with a few people, but once I do, I will come back and I will teach you more. I may need to leave weeks at a time to fulfil my Champion duties, but in my absence, my parents or some of my friends can help train you. I will always let you know beforehand, though. I'm so sorry to do this, young one, but…" Aurora looked of to her side, somewhat sad, but Ash interrupted her.

"I understand. You're trying to help a large and dysfunctional region remain stable. You want the best for Hokori." Ash's eyes turned red for a moment before turning back to brown. Ash's eyes turning red signaled his counterbalance, Ashton, saying a response. Ashton was much more reserved than Ash, so he preferred not coming out often. Still, he wanted to make sure he recognized her reasons leaving for a few days, so he come out temporarily.

"Exactly. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you with all my heart." Aurora kissed Ash on top of his forehead. Ash cringed slightly at the contact, but openly embraced it. He nodded his head in determination. Aurora smiled at his resolve.

"I love you, too, Mom." Ash brought out a large lizard-like Pokémon with a flaming tail. Aurora did the same. Ash's and Aurora's Charizards were both larger than normal Charizards, but Aurora's Charizard was much larger than Ash's. She also had red sharp eyes and a stance that radiated power and experience. Ash's Charizard also looked significantly younger.

"The best way to reach Lucario is to go the way Mew showed you in your dream. You would need to head to the caves in the Tree of Beginning until you sense a wall with energy similar to a Lucario and walk through it. Your body would turn into aura and rematerialize you near the Lucario Kingdom. That's much easier than flying there, but… I know you'd rather have a journey-like feel instead of using aura hotspots." Aurora said with a bit of a laugh.

"You're right. Even though it would take longer, I want to fly to Sinnoh instead. I want to test out Charizard's stamina. You can do it, right, buddy?" Ash turned to his fire typed started.

 **"(Heck yeah, I can!)"** Charizard blew out a few flames in the air to prove his point. Aurora's Charizard rolled her eyes in response. Ash and Aurora could understand Pokémon naturally as guardians, but Serena had a harder time. Ash translated for her. The honey blond nodded. Aurora put a finger on her chin as she got an idea.

"You know, I could fly with you until you reach the Lucario Kingdom. However, I would need to turn back southeast since Hokori is a little southeast from here. I would reach Hokori a little later than I wanted to but that's alright with me." Aurora offered.

"Wow, really? Mom, you don't have to do that. Wouldn't that strain Chari?" Ash said in slight concern. Truth be told, he was very excited that Aurora could join him, but did not want her to feel obligated or forced into it. Going to Sinnoh and then Hokori seemed out of the way for her.

 **"Not at all, young master."** Chari chuckled at the teen's naivety. As Chari was a master guardian's partner, her mistress enabled her to speak normally to humans passively. Only when Aurora was unconscious was when Chari spoke normally to humans. Despite that, she has mastered the art of telepathy in case her trainer wasn't present. Unfortunately for her, telepathy strains her, so she didn't like to use it. All of Aurora's Pokémon was like that.

"See? Chari's alright with it. I'm alright with it. So… we'll accompany you until you meet Sensei the Lucario again." Aurora said excitedly. Ash blinked his eyes.

"Wait… Sensei is his actual name? I thought the other Lucario was just calling him that out of respect." Ash pointed out.

"Yeah. The old man or Lucario or whatever you want to describe him as is named Sensei. It's weird, but it's not like Mew is good with naming things." Aurora shrugged and cringed upon thinking about her actual name.

"Fair enough, I guess." Ash replied.

"Are you ready to head out, young one? Chari and I can fly anytime." Aurora was about to jump on her Charizard, but Serena stopped her but grabbing her hand and pulling her slightly. Aurora was slightly caught off guard, but decided to give the teen all of her attention. Gordo and Alice narrowed their eyes at the honey blond teen. Serena had a shiver down her spine and moved to be behind Aurora defensively.

Aurora narrowed her eyes back at her parents. She looked at them disapprovingly. She remarked, "Stop giving her nasty looks like that. She is our guest, psychic guardian or not. You two are acting foolish over that one fact and I don't want you near her while I'm gone."

"Auroralia Ketchum, you will not speak to us like that." Gordo sneered. Aurora looked affronted and hissed at her father. Ash noticed her aura level rising and he could feel her irritation.

"Dad, I don't care about that if I see you're doing something wrong. You've been giving Serena dirty looks and have been saying hurtful things to her for the last two weeks. I will not accept it. I want her to be in an open and comfortable environment." Aurora said.

"Aurora, you just don't understand the implication of having a hybrid spawn here." Gordo looked at Serena with disgust. He snarled, "She could be the reason the world goes into ruin… I wouldn't be surprised if she defected from us."

"I understand the implication perfectly, but that doesn't give you the right to treat her as if she's lesser than you. Serena has proven time and time again that she's loyal to Ash. She even helped to heal me when I was unconscious. I owe her my life and I don't have anything bad to say about her. She's a very sweet and poised girl." Aurora defended.

"I'm surprised you're talking so highly about someone like her, Aurora. You weren't raised to be like this." Gordo pointed out. Aurora crossed her arms.

"I have a different perception because other people showed me a more open approach about life. Meema showed me that I should be open to people and that I should never blind myself in delusion. Judge a person on their merit, not on what they are. Your negative thoughts are making you delusional in this young girl because of her heritage. I won't accept that. I say this again. I want you to be far away from Serena while I'm gone." Aurora said with a deadly tone.

"Aurora…" Alice tried to soothe her, but at this point, Aurora's hands were burning with fire in warning. Her parents stepped back in alarm. Serena was touched to see Aurora defend her like this. So was Ash. Ash felt happy she was this supportive of their relationship. He kind of felt like a little Teddiursa being protected by his angry mama Ursaring.

"I mean it. I'm serious about Serena learning from me and I want her comfortable. Stay away from her." Aurora growled in a deadly tone.

"…" Neither parent could reply. They still couldn't believe they were seeing Aurora defend a hybrid so adamantly. They wondered where they went wrong. When they took a step closer, Aurora brought out her arm to block Ash and Serena.

"Stay away!" Aurora screeched.

"We heard you loud and clear." Gordo frowned and raised his hands up defensively. He figured if Aurora was this adamant about teaching Serena, he would respect it, but he sure didn't have to like it.

"Good. I expect Serena to be well when I return. If you try anything, I will not hesitate to make you both leave…" Aurora growled.

"You really don't trust us?" Gordo said, slightly offended. Aurora narrowed her eyes.

"I do trust you… just not with anything relating to psychics. Like it or not, Serena makes Ash happy. I don't want you to push her away... like you may have done in the past to another psychic I know…" Aurora responded.

"…?" Gordo was confused by the phrasing in his daughter's last part. Aurora sighed and rolled her eyes.

 **"Hmm… actually, I could help you with this, Aurora."** A third voice entered herself into the conversation. A pink cat-like fetus Pokémon appeared right before them.

"Mew?" Aurora blinked her eyes in surprise. Mew rested herself on top of Aurora's head and made a slightly subdued yawn. She knew Mew herself had been busy recently, too. She put more energy into fortifying the Tree since Ash started living there. Gordo was able to take a much-needed break. Aurora looked up with a small smile. She sometimes forgot how cute her patron could be to her.

 **"Hello dear. I trust you and Ash have started to develop a stable dynamic now that you're together again?"** The legendary inquired.

"Yes, but I need to head back to Hokori to resume Champion duties. I'm happy I can be flexible and focus weeks at a time on Ash, but I hate that I need to leave him to maintain the status quo in my region. If the region wasn't a mess, I would revoke my title to someone else." Aurora said with a hint of sadness.

 **"I understand, Aurora. You've done a lot this last month toward your family life. I think this leave is much needed. I will act in your stead and make sure Serena is comfortable to a point."** Mew told her. Aurora didn't like that last part, but noticed Mew's interest in Serena. Aurora felt that was strange. She knew the pixie may want to help her with something, though what she wasn't sure. Aurora only hoped Serena would be alright afterwards. Mew never liked to make things simple for anyone.

"You don't know me well enough to do this. What's your angle?" Serena questioned. She was naturally suspicious of Mew considering what she put Ash and Aurora through in the last month. She was also curious about why she suddenly had an interest in protecting Serena from Aurora's parents.

 **"I want to know you should you end up with Ash like I have with all potential mates in the past. I would have expected more humans to be open minded like myself. I am vehemently against the separationist belief my counterbalance has spread to humans earlier in history. The pessimism and revulsion that stems from such a juvenile idea sickens me."** Mew shook her head. Ash looked at her dumbfounded while Serena looked at her in shock. They both knew that she was speaking in a much more serious tone than usual.

"My lady…" Gordo didn't know his mindset came from Arceus. He shook his head. He wanted to follow Mew's idea as she was the Pokémon he worshiped.

 **"Gordon, I adore you, but I do agree with Aurora. While she's gone, please observe Serena on her actions and judge her for yourself. View her with an open lens and you may be enlightened."** Mew advised.

"I'll… try. I want to see if she's really different from other psychic scumbags. Serena either tricked Aurora incredibly well or the girl is a good kid." Gordo's gaze wandered to Serena and she inwardly gulped. Gordo had an intimidating stature and matching striking yellow eyes to boot. His muscular arms seemed to be pulsing slightly. Serena forced herself not to quiver. She instead glared at Gordo back. Gordo smirked and chuckled, "We'll see how you shape up in my daughter's absence, kid."

"N-noted, sir." Serena covered her month when she shuddered slightly. Gordo laughed a little more.

"Ah… I knew you were a little afraid when I glared at you. It's hard not to feel intimidated by the Ketchum glare." Gordo shrugged.

"The Ketchum glare?" Serena repeated, slightly confused.

"We all have a look that can scare the living daylights out of someone who isn't prepared. It's more potent on someone like Ash who usually doesn't show signs of annoyance. You have a good poker face. I'll give you that." Gordo explained and acknowledged. Aurora found herself trying to hide a smile. He wasn't speaking to her as gruffly and she could hear hints of respect in his tone. She hoped he would find more respect for her while she was gone.

Knowing that Mew would help keep things stable, Aurora turned to Ash and asked, "Are you ready to head out, Ash?"

"Yeah. I have only my guardian partners coming with me and all the berries you gave me yesterday. Hopefully, I'll be back by the end of today or tomorrow." Ash said. Ash gave Serena a hug and whispered in her hair, "Stay strong, Seri. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. I don't like seeing you so uncomfortable, too."

"Thank you, Ash. Best of luck with finding your partners." Serena hugged him a little tighter.

"Thanks. See you soon." Ash broke off their embrace. Normally, he would be embarrassed doing that in front of his family, but the urge to comfort Serena took precedence over his embarrassment. He wasn't sure how else to help, but he was glad Serena looked better. Aurora found herself smiling.

Aurora mounted her Charizard. Ash mounted his Charizard as well. Mew got off of Aurora's head and started to float beside Serena. Serena still regarded the pixie Pokémon hesitantly, but she was a little comforted that Mew would try and help her while Ash and Aurora were gone. The psychic guardian hoped that Ash would come back from finding his last two guardian partners sooner rather than later.

"Serena, stay safe alright? Mom and Dad, do not be rough with her." Aurora said. Serena nodded, but Gordo and Alice seemed a little less than thrilled. Aurora sighed.

With that, both Charizards started to hover above the ground. Ash waved to Serena and made an inviting smile. Serena made a bashful smile back and waved to him. Then, both Charizards flew high into the sky until Serena, Gordo and Alice couldn't see them. Once Ash and Aurora were gone, Alice and Gordo stared at Serena. Serena had an unnerved chill down her spine. Mew noticed the tension and floated between the three.

 **"I'd say… it's time for what you humans call an ice breaker."** Mew sighed as she directed all the humans into Aurora's home. Serena quickly went in first. Then, the two elderly Ketchums. Serena was dreading being alone with the wildcard of all legendaries and two people that couldn't stand her based on what she was.

* * *

 **A/N: Seems like things are going to be interesting at the Ketchum house while Ash and Aurora are gone. Will Serena be alright when they return? Sadly, you won't know that immediately.**

 **How will things go for Ash as he finds his guardian partners? Keep reading to find out. Happy reading!**

 **Next Chapter: Unsettled Emotions**

 **~SPG123~**


	3. Unsettled Emotions

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers. Here is the second chapter as promised. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer** **: You know the drill. I don't own Pokemon, but I do own the story idea.**

* * *

 _"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence." -Confucius_

* * *

Chapter 2: Unsettled Emotions

Ash and Aurora cruised through the sky on their Charizards at a fast pace. It was still morning time, but the sun was shining bright and they barely saw anything in the sky. Ash found himself following Aurora. She seemed to have a good lay of the land beneath her. The guardian teen figured it was because she was much more well-traveled than he was. Also, Ash didn't quite know where in Sinnoh the Lucario Kingdom was, so he was glad that Aurora knew.

Aurora was focused on what was in front of her. As long as she sensed Ash near her, she was alright. The ebony haired woman hadn't visited Sinnoh in quite some time, so she hoped she wasn't get them both lost. The two Ketchums soon left Kanto and began to fly the skies of Johto.

Aurora directed her Charizard and Ash's toward northeast. Ash looked down and noticed he was passing by Ecruteak City. He started to remember his battle with Morty and the Burned Tower. The boy also noticed that they were flying at a fast pace if they were already here. He found himself impressed with both the fire types' speed. He was proud to see his Charizard keep up with Aurora's without any sign of straining, too.

Eventually, the duo flew out of Johto and into uncivilized terrain. There seemed to be an endless amount of trees on the horizon. Ash began to wonder how far Sinnoh really was from Kanto and sighed. He hoped Charizard could make the trip. He knew he had flown a plane there before and he knew he had flown for a few hours. Ash wasn't sure how long it took.

Aurora looked back at Ash and noticed his unrest. She could tell he wasn't used to long trips and began to think about how to engage him since it would be a while before they reached the ocean that separated the trees from Sinnoh's land. Aurora gasped when she got an idea. She tapped on Chari's head. Chari's red eyes went up slightly to acknowledge the tap. Then, Aurora began to whisper her idea to her partner Pokémon. Chari nodded and smirked.

Aurora called out to Ash, "Hey, young one… want to see something cool?"

Hearing Aurora talk after about two hours of cruising in the sky startled the boy. He said, "What do you have in mind?"

"We still have quite a way until Sinnoh, so I'd say I can entertain you for a bit of time." Aurora smiled at her first Pokémon. "Chari, let's have some fun, shall we?"

 **"I'm ready, Aurora!"** Chari said excitedly.

"Let's show Ash some of our reckless days from before I had him. Use your Blue Phoenix technique!" Aurora commanded.

Chari's eyes began to glow a bloody red. Her body lit up in an intense blue flame. Ash immediately became concerned about Aurora being in the fire, but then noticed that she was glowing yellow. Her two 'z' shaped marks appeared on her face and she seemed excited. She also looked like she wasn't getting burned. If anything, she seemed comfortable in the heat.

Ash knew that as a master guardian duo, they blessed each other with enhanced durability and increased power, but to see that their bond was so potent that Aurora could sit on her flaming lizard told Ash a lot about their relationship. He hoped he could have an even stronger bond with Pikachu. Pikachu was watching the duo in awe and had the same thoughts as his partner.

Ash's heart skipped a beat when he saw Chari flip her body to where she was flying to where her back was to the ground. Aurora started to fall toward the trees. Ash was about to send his own Charizard to catch her, but one look from the falling Aurora made him think otherwise. She had a youthful and mischievous look. She smirked playfully. He never seen her this comfortable before.

As Aurora dangled toward the ground, Chari started to fly around her at a fast pace, seemingly creating a blue flaming shield around the two. Aurora herself was spinning her body around like Chari. Ash noticed Aurora's body was glowing brighter and the blue flames were expanding into a more distinct shape. It seemed like Aurora was going to hit the trees at any moment.

Right before Aurora fell into the trees, Aurora and Chari high fived each other and they looked more determined. While spinning coordinately, Aurora and Chari both flew themselves up. As they rose up, an explosion of flames was unleashed as they danced around the two harmlessly. At this point, the two was enveloped in a flurry of flames that resembled a blue Ho-Oh. Ash's eyes were sparkling in awe at this point.

Aurora's and Chari's movement were coordinated. The duo looked like they had a blue Ho-Oh avatar surrounding them. As Chari was Aurora's closest bonded Pokémon, she had more mastery over fire and air, but seeing it like this was amazing. Ash wondered what other things master guardians and their partners could do together and hoped he could do that someday with his partners.

Aurora made her left eye red and her right eye yellow. Both Aurora and her other side were out and her aura grew more potent to reflect how Mew is when together with her counterbalance. Aurora curled her fists up. Chari did the same. Then, with a joint yell, the master guardian duo shot out their fiery projection in front of them.

The Ho-Oh projection took a life of its own, separated itself from Aurora and Chari and charged into the sky, flying off with blue streaks of flame behind it. Ash could see that Aurora was controlling it. With a snap of Aurora's fingers, the projection exploded into blue sparkles that floated gently toward the ground. Ash grew concerned that Aurora made have started a forest fire, but his concern was soon quelled when Aurora snapped her fingers again to blow away any fire. The sight looked stunning.

Aurora lazily floated back on to Chari with the same mischievous look she had from before she started. Aurora's left eye turned back to yellow. Ash, Pikachu and Charizard looked at the woman, speechless. Aurora giggled at the boy. Then, she flew a little past them with Chari.

Ash quickly ushered Charizard to catch up with Aurora. It was in this time, that they reached the ocean that separated the wild forests from the Sinnoh region. Aurora increased her pace with Chari to spur Ash into doing the same. Her plan worked. Ash noticed she was flying significant faster and grew determined to catch up. Eventually, he did.

"Mom, that was amazing! How did you learn to do that?" Ash said to her. Aurora started to laugh again.

"I was very experimental when I was your age. I practiced that on my own in my free time. That projection isn't just for show, either. It's my most deadly technique. It's easy to do with Chari because we're sharing our energy. It's much harder by myself because of all the aura needed to create and maintain such a large form. It's also devastating when it lands. It's often impractical to use this in a serious battling setting when I'm against another person, though." Aurora explained.

"Can you do it by yourself, Chari?" Ash asked Aurora's trusty partner.

 **"Yep, but I find it's much easier to use Flare Blitz and manipulate the shape to reflect the Blue Phoenix. Even though the technique is just emulating and changing Flare Blitz's shape, Aurora decided to morph it to use it in a flashier way."** Chari told him.

"I can't exactly light my entire body on fire any time I want to, like you, Chari. That takes a lot of energy for a guardian… even for a distinguished one like myself." Aurora huffed slightly in annoyance.

"I didn't even know guardians could light themselves on fire at all." Ash put a finger on his chin.

"Unless I want to turn myself into a barbeque, not really." Aurora shook her head. Ash looked at her, slightly confused. Aurora explained, "The reason why I can appear to have my body on fire is because I'm using a hyperactive aura barrier to protect myself from being exposed to flames for too long and converting the outside part into fire. I myself am not on fire. It's a lot more technical than it seems at first glance."

"Wow… that's a lot cooler to find out, actually. Makes what you did all the more awesome!" Ash complemented.

"Haha… I'm glad I amused you, Ash." Aurora said with a warm smile.

"Gah… that made me even more excited for the future. I really want to pull off that kind of stuff myself someday." Ash said, now pumped up. Aurora giggled at his enthusiasm. He was being very much like the Ash she remembered before being separated. Though she still sensed his melancholy regarding his previous life, she was glad to distract him from those feelings if it made him happier.

"I have no doubt in my mind that you will, especially since you have a higher aptitude for aura than I do. You're truly an amazing boy. The next time I see you, this will become more apparent because you would have reunited with and started to connect with all of your guardian partners instead of just four." Aurora said. Ash nodded, then gasped.

"I see land up ahead!" Ash pointed out.

"Beautiful. Pastoria City is on the horizon. We're almost to Sinnoh. Hang on for a little while longer." Aurora said with a hint of excitement.

Within a few minutes, the Ketchum duo started to fly over Pastoria City. They took notice to a few people looking up at them. Ash noticed Crasher Wake heading to the Poke Mart of the city. Aurora took notice at how much the city changed since she was a teenager. She noted that the Great Marsh remained the same, so she was happy about the wild Pokémon that could roam free in that space.

Ash immediately began to think about Brock and Dawn. He knew that Dawn had grown to be quite the Coordinator in recent years and wondered where she was now. Ash also began to think about how Serena and Dawn would interact. He knew that they would probably hit it off well because of how similar they were to each other. The thought of that made him smile. The boy began to wonder if he could somehow get his old friends to come together some day.

Aurora began to focus on finding the Lucario Kingdom since they were close. She remembered it being between Mt. Coronet and Veilstone City, but she hadn't tried to go to it via the sky before. As they flew on, Aurora noticed they were near Lake Valor. Aurora decided to turn east upon being above the lake. Ash noticed that they were above unsettled terrain again.

Aurora made her eyes turn yellow as she began to scan the ground for anything peculiar. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed a strong blue ripple near some of the trees. Her eyes turned into normal and she gestured Ash to follow her with her hand. Aurora directed everyone toward the ripple. However, since the ripple was in the middle of the forest, Aurora jumped off Chari and landed on a sturdy tree branch.

Ash noticed Aurora return Chari to her Poke Ball upon landing and realized that they were in the right area. Ash wondered how he was going to get down, but Aurora already had an idea. Aurora's hands began to glow the same color as her eyes. Ash gasped as he developed a yellow outline around himself. Aurora gently lifted Ash off of Charizard and instructed him to return Charizard as he was too large to enter this way. The boy nodded and did as he was told.

Aurora started to jump down off the branches until she reached the ground. She then was careful as she directed Ash's body to the ground. Ash trusted Aurora completely. He felt comfortable feeling Aurora's aura lift him. He eventually landed right beside her. Aurora gestured him to keep following her. Ash obliged.

"The Lucario Kingdom is so hidden that most people in Sinnoh don't know about it. We need to go by the trees near the ripple of aura I sensed to enter it from here." Aurora told him.

"So we're basically still using another aura hotspot." Ash assumed.

"No. We're not using a hotspot. We're going through the actual entrance from the forest. It's just… most people wouldn't see it." Aurora explained. Ash looked a little confused. Aurora sighed and continued walking. She hoped she could show him what she meant.

After a few minutes of walking, Aurora stopped Ash. Her eyes turned completely yellow as she started to search for the aura ripple. She noticed a couple of trees being a bit further apart than normal and that's where the ripple was. Aurora looked back at Ash before going between the trees.

Ash tilted his head in confusion when he saw Aurora disappear. Looking at Pikachu, unsure, he put his hand through the two trees and saw it disappear. Pikachu gestured Ash to follow his mother. That's exactly what he did. Ash had a wide gaping mouth.

Lucario Kingdom looked the same, but from behind him, he would not think there was a forest. He didn't even see the two trees he walked through, but he knew that if he walk through this area again, he would be back in the forest. He saw houses littered over grassland. It contrasted the dense forest he was in just a minute ago. Aurora seemed amused by Ash's reaction. They both could see a tall castle in the middle of the castle. Ash knew that Lucario was in there and was determined to meet her face to face.

Aurora started to direct Ash toward the castle. Aurora hadn't been in this area in about fifteen years, but she liked that it had not much changed. It gave her a sense of familiarity being here. As Ash walked with Aurora toward the castle, he noticed that there were very few people here. The only people that were here were guardians and he sensed the many Lucarios and Riolus here, too. It was odd being here. He felt like he was in a mirage, but he knew that everything he was seeing was real.

Ash and Aurora eventually made it to the entrance to Lucario Castle. Aurora opened the door and entered. She was surprised to find that the castle was open, but soon found out why.

Ash suddenly had a huge smile on his face. He noticed Lucario was standing right in front of them, almost anticipating Ash's arrival. She immediately ran over to him and gave him a hug. Ash recoiled slightly at the impact, but laughed heartily. Ash had to inhale slightly at getting impaled at Lucario's spike on her chest, but he was too happy to care.

Once they broke apart, Lucario immediately made her ears go down in regret. Ash told the jackal not to feel sorry about it and promptly used his inner aura to heal the wound. Lucario sighed in relief. Ash noted he had a hole in his clothes and sighed. He didn't know how to sow. Aurora put a finger on her chin upon noticing and nodded to herself. She knew some things she needed to get for Ash while she was away.

Lucario then focused her attention on Pikachu. She greeted him warmly. He seemed excited to see Riolu again, but was surprised to see that she was a Lucario now. It didn't matter to him because this Lucario was one in the same. Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder to run around Lucario in greeting. Then, they high-fived each other. They already had some sense of camaraderie. Ash smiled at the sight.

Lucario focused her attention on Aurora. Lucario greeted the lady. Aurora did the same gesture. Then, Lucario bowed in respect. Aurora sweatdropped in surprise. Confused, Aurora said, "You don't have to do that, Lucario."

 **"(You are my master's mother based on your aura signature. I feel that as a way to respect you, I must bow.)"** Lucario said while bowing. Aurora forced Lucario to stand up straight. She shook her head. Lucario wondered what she did wrong.

"Oh boy… a Lucario from Lucario Kingdom with manners. That's a little annoying." Aurora sighed.

 **"(How so, my lady?)"** Lucario tiled her head in confusion. Aurora shook her head and laughed. She seemed slightly amused.

"That. Exactly what you just did. You're too polite. You were taught by Sensei to treat your trainer and their family with the upmost respect, but… some people may not like to be formally regarded. Ash will be your partner for the rest of your life, so I suggest you break out of the rigid formality now. This is coming from someone who has a Lucario from the Lucario Kingdom." Aurora explained herself.

 **"(Oh… my apologies for making you feel uncomfortable… er…)"** Lucario wanted to respect Aurora's wishes, but she didn't know her name. Aurora picked up on this.

"Aurora. You didn't make me uncomfortable." Aurora gave a smile to the fighting type.

 **"(Mistress Aurora…)"** Lucario regarded her respectfully.

"Please, just call me Aurora." Aurora said in a tired voice.

 **"(If that is what you wish. My apologies.)"** Lucario said. Aurora made a sideways smile in response.

"Lucario, how have you been since I last visited you?" Ash asked. Lucario's eyes immediately lit up. Her tail started to wag in excitement.

 **"(I've been training extra hard so when you returned I would be a lot stronger than during our sparring match! I want to make sure I'm a powerful asset at your side. I also want to get a rematch with you, too. The thought of that made me work even harder!)"** Lucario said, now pumped about the future. Ash laughed.

"I can't wait to train with you, too! I need to get one last guardian Pokémon before I will spar. He might be a Tyranitar now. I'm not sure. I definitely know that he's gotten stronger in the five years I saw him last, so I can't wait to see him." Ash told the jackal.

 **"(Ooh! That sounds exciting, Master!)"** Lucario said excitedly. Ash sighed.

"I told you not to call me 'Master' in my dream. I don't like being called 'Master' in real life, either. Just call me, Ash, alright?" Ash told his partner. Lucario nodded and rubbed behind her head.

 **"(Apologies, Ash. I really need to get used to this.)"** Lucario noted.

"That's alright. We'll jump through any hurdle together." Ash said.

 **"(That's good to hear. I can't wait to tell tales of your adventures hundreds of years from now.)"** An old voice chuckled from down the hall. Lucario's eyes lit up as her tail started to wag. Ash recognized the voice.

 **"(Master Sensei!)"** Lucario immediately bowed in respect to her teacher. Sensei made himself appear as an old and shaggy Lucario with his red eyes squinted and had bushy blue eyebrows. His fur was also faded. The last time Ash was here, he remembered this Pokémon as an old man. He still found himself shocked about it, but understood that Mew thought of a lot when making everything. Still, he found it weird that this Lucario was immortal due to his duty to protect the Kingdom.

 **"(I see you couldn't wait to meet your trainer. The minute you sensed him here, you stood at the front of the door, heh.)"** Sensei laughed.

 **"(My apologies, Sensei, but I'm just too excited.)"** Lucario said.

 **"(I never thought I'd see the day you'd be this warm to humans.)"** Sensei said in slight surprise. Lucario's tail stopped wagging as she vehemently shook her head.

 **"(Please do not misunderstand, Sensei. I still feel very reserved about humans due to being turned to stone by the huntress J. I acknowledge that these humans are good, but I know a lot of humans are not. I'd be much colder to people outside this place.)"** Lucario suddenly narrowed her eyes and curled her fists. Ash gasped and noticed the resemblance between himself and his partner. It seemed there were some things they needed to talk about once Ash found his last Pokémon.

 **"(Understood. Before you go, I have something to give to Ash.)"** Sensei put his paws together. A white light formed within his paws, then stopped suddenly. When he opened his paws, a marble-like stone with red, grey and blue was in his paws. It looked like a Mega Stone. Ash looked at Sensei in awe. Sensei gave the stone to the boy and said, **"(As you and Lucario are guardian partners, I entrust you with the Lucarionite. Treat it with care and I promise you your bond with your partner will reach new heights!)"**

"I will. Thank you, Sensei." Ash said. He turned to Lucario. "Well, Lucario, are you ready to come with me?"

 **"(Of course! However, I want to do battle with Pikachu before I do. You showed me that you are powerful in your own right when we sparred, but I want to know if your partners hold up, too.)"** Lucario said while looking at Pikachu.

"Hmm… how about it, Pikachu?" Ash turned to his first Pokémon.

 **"(I'm always ready to battle! You're on, Lucario!)"** Pikachu said while having sparks in his cheeks. He seemed excited. Both Sensei and Aurora raised an eyebrow, then looked at each other with a cheeky smile.

 **"(If you two are going to battle, I suggest following me. We have a battlefield in one of the castle rooms."** Sensei told them.

He started to direct them deeper into the castle. Ash began to note how old the place was from the inside. It looked like it was made from cobblestone, but the castle itself looked old and dignified. He could tell that it was recently renovated. There seemed to be an endless amount of rooms. Ash noticed a lot of the Lucarios were just performing daily tasks.

Ash saw some Lucario were cleaning the castle, others were making food and some were training up different Riolus. This place was bursting with activity. Ash noted that there were no humans here, showed them to the room with the battlefield. There were a couple of Lucarios already here sparring. They stopped upon noticing Sensei and everyone else. They bowed in respect to their master and left immediately. They figured if Sensei was here with humans, it must be important.

Ash and Pikachu stood opposite to the battlefield to Lucario. Sensei and Aurora sat at the sidelines. Sensei stood closer to Lucario while Aurora stood closer to Ash. In the meanwhile, Aurora threw up a one of her Poke Balls with a wave sticker on it. Aurora's own Lucario came out. At first, her partner was confused, but his eyes lit up upon seeing that he was in the Lucario Kingdom. Aurora winked at the jackal and gestured him to watch the battle. He obliged happily. Sensei and Rio respectfully regarded one another before focusing their attention on Ash and Lucario.

"Show her what's what, young one!" Aurora cheered.

 **"Show him no mercy, my student."** Sensei said with a competitive smirk.

Ash and Pikachu looked at Lucario, determined to prove their worth to her. Lucario gazed at the duo in a competitive stance. All signs of politeness were gone from the fighting and steel type. Lucario showed her competitive drive and acted as this was a sparring session instead of a Pokémon battle. She narrowed her eyes as she prepared her first attack.

* * *

 **A/N: Let's see what Lucario's got. Can Ash pull through? Find out in the next chapter!**

 **Next Chapter: Prove Your Worth**

 **~SPG123~**


	4. Prove Your Worth

**A/N: Hello and hiya my lovely readers! I ended up submitting this much earlier than anticipated, but that's alright! More for you guys to read! Please enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, but I do own this idea! Happy reading!**

* * *

 _"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."- Ernest Hemingway_

* * *

Chapter 3: Prove Your Worth

Lucario immediately formed a bone-like shape in her paws and twirled it around in preparation. She was watching the two closely. Pikachu got on all fours and sparks started to form on his cheeks. He looked to his trainer for some sort of command. Ash looked pumped.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu surrounded himself in a white light as he burst into a fast pace, determined to slam his body into the jackal. Much to Ash's surprise, he noticed Lucario was following Pikachu's movement perfectly with her eyes. Then, he saw Lucario burst into a white light and approach the electric mouse with the same vigor. Pikachu wasn't expecting Lucario to match his speed so easily. The two jumped and clashed almost instantly. Pikachu hit his head against Lucario's Bone Rush.

Before Lucario could punish Pikachu's approach with a proper swing at him. Pikachu forced himself to jump away. Lucario smirked slightly at Pikachu's reflexes. She kept having her Bone Rush attack out, though, using it as a weapon against the electric mouse.

Upon landing on the ground, Pikachu slid slightly while Lucario softly landed. Lucario's Extremespeed had a bit more power behind it and this pleased Ash.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

With his cheeks brimming with electrical charge, Pikachu shot out a blast of electrical energy at the fighting type. Lucario hid a smile as she began to twirl her Bone Rush attack around as an act of defense. The Thunderbolt electrified the Bone Rush. Ash and Pikachu gasped in surprise. Sensei smirked and looked proud of his student.

Then, Lucario threw her attack at Pikachu. The electrified Bone Rush scored a direct hit. Pikachu grunted in slight pain and bushed it off. He formed electrical sparks from his cheeks in determination. Lucario gestured with her paws to come at her. She looked at the mouse both in challenge and amusement. She didn't look too impressed yet.

Ash found himself getting even more excited. It looked like Lucario developed some tricks while being in the kingdom and he hoped to tap into that once he caught her. Still, he knew that he needed to up his game more. He brought out his hand and said, "Pikachu, use Quick Attack again!"

Pikachu nodded and knew to trust in Ash. He figured he had a plan up his sleeve this time. Lucario got herself into an attentive stance. She once again paid attention to Pikachu's movements. Ash continued. "Hit yourself with Thunderbolt and jump from the wall!"

While running, the white streak of light turned yellow. Pikachu immediately ran toward the wall and jumped up from it. Pikachu was now above Lucario. Lucario's guard rose as she formed another Bone Rush attack and steeled herself for a collision. Ash smirked upon seeing that. Aurora looked at her son, somewhat intrigued. Just what was he planning?

When Lucario rose up her Bone Rush as a way to defend herself, Ash called out, "Pikachu! Transfer the energy you built up to your tail! Use Iron Tail to knock Lucario's Bone Rush from her hands and then hit her head!"

Pikachu began to flip his body to gain enough momentum to carry out Ash's idea. His tail began to glow a steely gray. Then, it became charged with electrical energy. Pikachu looked like a yellow and gray ball with a streak of bright yellow going through it. Lucario barely had time to react when Pikachu's tail hit Lucario's Bone Rush attack. Startled, Lucario made her attack disappear. Then, before Lucario could retaliate Pikachu smacked his tail against her head. Lucario grunted in agony.

Pikachu moved away after landing the successful hit and noticed that Lucario was paralyzed. Small yellow static formed from all over her body. Ash saw this as his chance to capture her. Ash threw out a Poke Ball. The ball bounced off of Lucario's head and forced her to turn into a red light. The capsule shut itself once all the red light went inside. The ball fell on the ground and began to shake. Ash watched in anticipation.

Ash gasped when Lucario broke free from the ball. She looked determined to keep fighting. Ash noticed she had a bit of a fearful expression, but hid it under the intensity of her red eyes. For a split second, Ash saw nothing else but Lucario. He sensed her aura. The boy felt her fear at being caught despite wanting to travel with him. He realized he needed to not only prove his worth, but to gain her trust. Ash grew determined to do that.

Sensei looked at his student, impressed at her willpower. He knew she was never one to yield easily and was glad to see it manifest in battle. Aurora smiled and crossed her arms. She wanted to see what else this Lucario could do. Aurora's Lucario, Rio, seemed to have the same thoughts as his trainer.

Despite being paralyzed, Lucario gathered enough strength formed two aura spheres from her paws and shot them at Pikachu. Pikachu gasped when he got hit. The attacks came out so fast, he barely had time to react. He knew that this Lucario was special in that she was able to use Aura Sphere as a Riolu, but he noted how much progress she had made to mastering the technique. It looked like she not only perfected it, but used it as a tool to enhance herself further.

Lucario formed two spheres in her paws and absorbed them. She looked like her strength and speed increased. Lucario grunted as she fired an onslaught of aura sphere at Pikachu. Pikachu struggled to take each one. Ash noticed and responded with, "Dodge them and use Thunderbolt to retaliate!"

Pikachu tried to dodge her attacks, but Lucario made it difficult to hit her back with how she was launching her aura spheres. She kept shooting them at an angle and directing it after she shot it. Pikachu wasn't used to such control from an Aura Sphere user. However, he was determined to carry out Ash's order and he would not disappoint. He began to pay attention to how Lucario kept shooting her attacks and noticed a pattern in how she was aiming. He decided to use that to his advantage.

Pikachu began to approach Lucario in a zigzag, dodging any aura sphere that came his way. Once he found an opening, he used Thunderbolt to strike Lucario down. Lucario hissed in pain as the electric attack scored a direct hit.

Lucario looked like she was struggling to take the attack, but she looked like she wouldn't yield in defeat. Seeing how he bypassed Lucario's offensive pressure, Ash felt like this attempt would be the one. Ash once again threw a Poke Ball, but this time, he threw it with more vigor. Once again, Lucario was forced to be a red light and was sucked into the capsule. The ball gently floated to the ground as it began to shake.

Everyone looked at the ball in suspense. Ash curled his fists and stared at the ball with a determined expression. He said aloud to the moving ball, "Come on, Lucario. Come with me. I will help you resolve any feeling you have about being captured by a human. Let's go on many adventures together and learn from each other."

A few moments after Ash said this, the ball stopped moving and made a 'ding' sound. Lucario was caught. Ash looked at the ball in slight disbelief. Then, his disbelief turned into elation. Ash and Pikachu celebrated having a new member to their party, with Pikachu jumping into the air excitedly. Ash hurried to the Poke Ball and grabbed it. Once he did, he heard Lucario's voice say, **_"(I will learn to lean my trust on you, Ash. Thank you for feeling my plight.)"_**

Ash stepped back in slight surprise. He saw Sensei and Aurora approaching him, oblivious to what Lucario just said. Then, his eyes softened up. He suddenly kissed the Poke Ball and placed his forehead ahead it. His 'z' like marks began to glow and the Poke Ball responded in kind. Aurora looked at the boy in surprise. She observed his demeanor change, but wasn't sure why. In any case, she was happy to witness Ash catch his fifth guardian partner.

Ash immediately threw back out Lucario. Lucario came out eager, but still had signs of paralysis. Aurora saw her predicament and threw out a Poke Ball of her own. Out came out a four-legged cream and pink colored pixie eyed Pokémon. She had long feelers, bow-like sensors and a jovial expression.

"Happy, can you be a dear and use Heal Bell on Ash's newly caught guardian partner?" Aurora worded that in a way that she knew Happy react to it. Happy widened her eyes, gasped and began to wag her tail crazily. She started to inspect the Lucario further.

Happy squeaked with excitement. She had sparkles in her eyes, **"Newly caught guardian partner?! Oh my Mew, that's so exciting! I'll heal her right away!"**

Happy forced herself to calm down. Shaking her tail rhythmically, her body made a bell like noise. Lucario's body began to glow white as she felt a soothing effect through her. The static began to disappear until it was no more. Lucario looked at the Sylveon in appreciation. Happy stepped back when she was done.

 **"(Thank you, Sylveon.)"** Lucario bowed in respect.

 **"It's not a problem, but I prefer to be called Happy. I've been called that all my life."** Happy told her.

 **"(All your life?)"** Lucario found that hard to believe. Aurora decided to jump in the conversation for clarity.

"I found Happy as an Eevee in a hidden grotto in Viridian Forest. I noticed an egg in the middle of the clearing and tried finding her parents, but never did. Once the egg hatched, I noticed how much energy she had and how happy she was… it was almost infectious. So, I nicknamed her Happy. Twenty-five years later and we're still going strong." Aurora remembered fondly.

 **"Yep. I'm happy she found my egg… just like I'm happy Ash has found you!"** Happy smiled warmly at the Lucario. Lucario couldn't help but make a bashful smile back.

 **"(I'm… happy my master found me, too.)"** Lucario said while rubbing behind her head. Ash groaned at being called her 'master' again.

Aurora turned her attention to Ash. She said, "Watching how you battle from the sidelines really made me want to see more from you. I love how quickly you adapted to Lucario's defense and her aura spheres. That makes when we battle for my title even more exciting. I can't wait to see what you come up with against me. I'll make sure to keep winning so you can have the chance to take me down."

"I will take you down one day, Mom." Ash curled up his fist competitively.

"I won't make it easy for you, young one." Aurora winked at him.

"I know, but when I get all of my partners, I'm gonna train every day until I'm strong enough to take on the Hokori League. Our next battle won't be so one-sided again." Ash said with a determined expression.

"The next time I battle you, I would use Pokémon I got in my travels to other regions. Things would become a lot fairer to you instead of me using six master guardian partner Pokémon against you. That will be saved for your challenger match. I do want to track your progress with your partners once I come back from Hokori." Aurora said.

"Are you going to go now?" Ash asked.

"I'm afraid so. You can get to Johto on your own, right?" Aurora confirmed and asked.

"Yeah. I'm heading to Mt. Silver since that's where I last saw Larvitar." Ash told her.

"Mt… Silver…" Aurora suddenly grew sad. Ash wondered why that was, but then remembered that his dad used to train in the mountain. His father practically lived on the mountain and he knew Aurora was often there with him. Ever since his father was taken by the Zurui, she always grew somber when thinking about anything in relation to her husband. Aurora shook her head and said, "I know of an aura hotspot you can use to get there straightaway. It's relatively close, too. Would you rather that or would you rather fly there yourself?"

"As much as I want to fly through the skies with Charizard, I also want to head back to the Tree of Beginning as soon as I can. I'm a little worried about Serena. Grandma and Grandpa aren't exactly the nicest people." Ash admitted.

"Understood. Follow me, then. Make sure you're ready before you depart." Aurora returned her Lucario and Sylveon and gestured Ash to follow her out of the castle. She left them alone with Sensei.

Sensei suddenly stood in front of Lucario and Ash. Then, he made a small cheeky smile. He bowed in respect to Lucario. Lucario gasped in surprise. Sensei's eyes suddenly looked more vulnerable as he said, **"(Save travels, my student. Be sure to come and visit us sometimes. I always feel sad when I have to let one of you go…)"**

 **"(Sensei…)"** Lucario didn't know what to say.

 **"(Go on and become better than even better than I am. You are partnered with the highest potential aura guardian, so I expect great things from you both!)"** Sensei said with a grin.

 **"(I'll try my hardest to visit you permitted Master Ash allows it.")** Lucario said.

"Ugh… I'm not your master. I'm your friend. Sensei, why did you have to make all of your students like this?" Ash questioned the old Lucario. Sensei cackled mischievously, but didn't reply. Something told Ash that the old Lucario did it as a way to force a more informal bond so a trainer and their Lucario could get closer. Ash sighed and said this instead, "I'll make sure I'll become the trainer that Lucario deserves and more. You can count on us."

 **"(That's all I ask. Now, I'd say it's time for you to rejoin your mother on your quest to finding your remaining partner.)"** Sensei directed the two toward the exit. Ash and Lucario looked at each other. Then, they nodded to themselves. Waving the elder Lucario goodbye, they two quickly headed toward the entrance. Sensei stood there, sad, but fulfilled. He then went on to his own devices.

Ash and Lucario managed to meet Aurora back outside. She was simply standing there, looking at the sky and sighing. She seemed to still be sad from earlier and was thinking about things more heavily. When she sensed Ash back outside, she gave him her undivided attention and made an inviting smile. Ash frowned inwardly. He decided to wait until she had more time to discuss more about his father. He decided not to make her feel any sadder than she was and kept an oblivious façade.

"Are you ready to go, young one?" Aurora inquired.

"Yeah. Lucario and I said goodbye to Sensei and I think I have enough supplies. My bag is full of berries!" Ash told her.

"That's true, but I think we should have lunch before you go. At the very least, eat some snacks. A growing boy needs some food, you know." Aurora went into her pouch and took out Ash's favorite snack: a balanced favored Pokémon granola bar. She gave him a few of them to eat now and to take on the road. Ash's eyes lit up with happiness. Aurora smiled at seeing this.

"Thank you so much, Mom!" Ash said as she gobbled down a few of the Poke Bars. Aurora laughed.

"No problem. When you head back to Kanto, use this to let me know that you're safe and with your partners." Aurora went into her pouch and took out some peculiar blue beads. They looked like they were filled up with aura. Aurora continued, "These aura beads will let me detect a change in your aura for a few seconds. Normally, this is given to young guardian children learning how to sense things. However, I'm using it to make sure you're alright. I'll read into what's happening around you and your aura. Crush that bead when you get home and I'll call the house as soon as I can."

"Got it." Ash said.

Aurora suddenly gave Ash the largest hug she could muster. Ash stood there, somewhat shocked, but accepted it. As she hugged him, she said in his ear, "I'm… I'm sorry. I guess I just realized that this is the first time I'm letting you go out on your own. It took sixteen years, but the thought of letting you go out on your own is so… strange."

"Mom?" Ash broke off their embrace. He could see that tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

"To you, I look the same. Maybe I look more stressed from when you were seven. For me, I saw you jump from seven to sixteen. I didn't get to hear your voice change from puberty… or raise you as much as I could. I never got to see you physically grow up. I lost… so much time and I know I'll never be able to reclaim it. I had to look through Team Rocket's aura to witness how you grew." Aurora admitted.

"Whatever happened to Team Rocket? I haven't seen them try to take Pikachu recently." Ash noted. Aurora's blinked away her tears and sighed. She figured she should tell him this now that it didn't matter.

"During our Kalos League match, I wiped their memories of you and Pikachu. I have no idea where they are now, but I hope they're okay. They seemed a little obnoxious, but misguided when I interacted with them." Aurora said. Ash stepped back from her in shock.

"You took their memory of me?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise. He gave her a stinky look. Aurora had an urge to defend herself.

"I felt that was the best way to protect you from them. They looked like they would have continued to stalk you even as an adult. I couldn't allow that, so I acted. I'm sorry if my method of dealing with them wasn't the best. I was only thinking in your interest." Aurora looked away from Ash, now guilty. Ash made a wistful sigh.

"I understand. This was before you really got to know me and people from my previous life. I may not agree with your method, I know your heart was in the right place. Who knows? Maybe I'll see Team Rocket again someday." Ash said.

"I fabricated a vision that would encourage them to leave Team Rocket. Maybe you may see them again if they've improved their lives. They seemed to have an affinity with disguises and noodles, so…" Aurora shrugged. Aurora said, "In any case, there isn't anything you can do at this point. I feel like Team Rocket would have improved their lives by the time you might see them again."

"If you say so." Ash said.

"Despite what I did, I meant what I said. I want you to flourish, but I also want to keep my baby boy close to me. My heart would be crushed should anything happen to you. I lost Red… and I lost you once before. I want to see you grow into a wonderful man. I don't want to miss much else…" Aurora couldn't control the tears forming on her face this time. A few drops fell on the ground. She covered her face with her hand, slightly ashamed for being like this in front of Ash. Lucario and Pikachu looked at her with saddened eyes.

"Mom, I'm not going anywhere." Ash said in a strong voice and put a hand on her shoulder. He wanted to see her cheer up. He grinned, "You can count on that."

Aurora smiled at the attempt, but still looked dismayed. She thought about how naïve youth could be and wished she still had that mindset. She wiped away any lingering tears and made a slow, but bitter laugh. Aurora said while looking into his eyes, "I wish I could let my guard down completely, but too many times, I've been burned. Just… break that bead when you're safe, alright?"

"Okay." Ash said.

"The aura hotspot you want to go through is through the house with two wooden poles and an 'x' between them. All of these houses are actually aura hotspots since all the Riolu and Lucario here live in the castle. The hotspot should you leave on the foot of the mountain. It would be up to you to find your last partner." Aurora explained.

"Okay. Thank you so much, Mom." Ash thanked.

"Always and forever. I'll talk to you soon, but I'm running late now." Aurora threw out a Poke Ball and summoned her Charizard. She immediately mounted Chari. Chari began to hover with Aurora on her back. They smiled warmly at Ash, Pikachu and Lucario. Aurora said, "Take care. Come on, Chari. Let's go!"

With that, Aurora and Chari flew off into the sky at a breakneck pace. Ash noticed how much faster Aurora was going without him and wondered how fast she would reach Hokori. Ash stayed there until he couldn't see her in the sky. Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder while Lucario put her paw on his shoulder. She looked at the boy confidently.

Lucario commented, **"(Your mother seems to have went through a lot to see you again, Master. What was all that stuff she was talking about?)"**

"It's… a bit of a long story. I'll tell you on the way to Mt. Silver. Lucario, I'll keep saying this until you get it, but… stop calling me Master!" Ash said, exasperated. Lucario put her ears down timidly, but nodded. She wanted to please Ash, but it was hard to break out of something she was taught to do her entire life. She grew determined to change.

As they walked, Ash began to talk about everything that had happened to him this past month. He talked about how he first encountered Aurora training and how he later battled and lost to her convincingly. He talked about the guardian conflict he had with his counterbalance and Mew's involvement. He talked about the survival trial in his dreams and his confrontation with his fake mother, Delia. Ash sighed and shook his head thinking about everything that happened. Lucario said nothing, but listened intently. Ash started to sense Lucario's distress listening to this and stopped.

"Lucario?"

 **"(I'm… so… angry you had to go through that. You and your mother both. I'm glad I got to see you during your survival trial, but… I just feel so upset for you. I'm happy you're alright now.)"** Lucario said with a curled fist.

"Hahaha… that doesn't surprise me." Ash said with a smile.

 **"(Huh?)"** Lucario blinked her eyes.

"You're my Aspect of Emotion. So, it makes sense that you have a lot of empathy." Ash started to speak in a deeper voice. His eyes turned red. Ash's counterbalance continued, "I appreciate it."

 **"(No problem, Master Ashton… er… Ashton.)"** Lucario shook her head and corrected herself.

"Good. We're getting there. Eventually, you won't hesitate to just call me Ash or Ashton." Ashton's eyes turned back to brown as he noticed a peculiar house near them. He looked at the house and noticed the wooden poles. Ash said, "I think we're at the house Mom was talking about. I see the 'x' between the wooden poles. Do I just… walk through the door or the house itself?"

 **"(I think you can go through the house itself. Watch this.)"** Lucario immediately walked through the house as if she was a ghost. Ash looked a little spooked at first, but then realized the house was kind of like a portal. Though he thought that was strange, he decided not to question it. With Pikachu on his shoulder, he walked through the house and made his way to Mt. Silver.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it!**

 **Unfortunately, the next chapter will be released on Sunday, January 13th. I need to decide how often I submit these chapters. I'll likely decide by then. I hope you all will have a lovely day! Happy reading as always!**

 **Next Chapter: Thunderous Encounter**

 **~SPG123~**


	5. Thunderous Encounter

**A/N: I hope you will enjoy the chapter!**

 ***Obligatory disclaimer here***

* * *

 _"To be great is to be misunderstood." - Ralph Waldo Emerson_

* * *

Chapter 4: Thunderous Encounter

Ash walked though the side of the mountain, slightly dazed. He realized that using an aura hotspot was him moving as aura from point A to point B. The longer the distance, the more aura he needed to get somewhere. Johto and Sinnoh were further apart than he realized. He noticed Lucario and Pikachu felt just as tired as him and decided that now would be a good time to take a break. They had all day to find Ash's last partner.

Ash looked around his surroundings. He was on the outside of the mountain. There were mostly dense woods and very few grasslands. He noticed how the mountain's entrance was a little near the middle of a forest clearing. Though he found that odd, he decided to use the clearing as a place to rest and feed his partners.

Once at the clearing, Ash went into his bag and took out a blanket. He placed several bowls on the blanket and poured Pokémon food for all five Pokémon in his party. He then sent them all out. Ash sent out Bulbasaur, Charizard and Greninja since Pikachu and Lucario were out. He gestured everyone to eat. Everyone happily obliged.

Ash sat against a tree and began to munch on a Sitrus berry. He felt content after eating the granola bar from earlier. He didn't know why he loved that treat so much, but he knew that Aurora made it both with healthy and self-sustaining intent. He knew that they were made specifically as a way for him to keep going without needing to rest. The berries and ingredients played into how Ketchums were naturally like: wild, Pokémon-like and adventurous.

Ash glazed his eyes over with content. He watched as his Pokémon started to interact with the newly caught Lucario. Lucario had moved away from everyone, being slightly too timid to interact with everyone. He noticed that Bulbasaur stopped eating and tried to make her feel welcome. He put out a vine for Lucario to take. Lucario looked hesitant to do anything. Then, Bulbasaur decided to move his bowl to be beside hers and started to eat by her. Lucario looked at the grass type with surprise. Then, a small smile.

Pikachu noticed Bulbasaur had moved over to make Lucario comfortable. The mouse picked his bowl and brought it by Bulbasaur and Lucario. Bulbasaur smiled at the electric mouse. Lucario seemed surprised. Then, she saw Charizard and Greninja do the same thing. Lucario didn't know what to say, but she was appreciative of everyone's efforts to make her feel comfortable.

Ash's heart became fuzzy seeing all that. He was happy to see his Pokémon get along so well. He also noticed that Greninja and Charizard were the first to be done eating and looked at each other competitively. They immediately sized each other up and looked impressed with each other's potential. Ash smirked and thought about all the training he would do once he found the little Larvitar. Once everyone was done eating, he put all the bowls back in his bag and looked at everyone. All of his partners gave him their undivided attention.

"Guys, I feel happy that you all are my partners and I looked forward to getting stronger with all of you. Before we can, we need to find the last member of our family. I'm not sure if Larvitar is still a Larvitar, but I sense his aura nearby. When I catch him, let's get stronger together!" Ash said.

 **"(Yeah!)"** Ash's Pokémon cheered.

"Thank you for being my friends. Now, let's find…" Ash would have continued, but he noticed something suspicious deeper in the woods. Was that some cages? Ash's demeanor turned more serious as he said, "I'm going to check out something. Return everyone!"

Ash immediately returned Lucario, Greninja, Charizard and Bulbasaur in their capsules. Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder with a grim expression. They nodded at each other before Ash went deeper in the area. Ash noticed that as he got closer, he did see cages of wild Pokémon trapped. Ash grew appalled. He rushed over and noticed a few Pokémon in cages like Dodrio, Rapidash and even rarer ones like Dragonair. They all looked scared and miserable.

Ash looked a closer look and noticed that all of these Pokémon were wounded in some way. It didn't look like a Pokémon wounded them, either. Ash's got a shiver down his spine.

Ash felt himself getting angry. He noticed that there were no humans near them so he figured that he would have enough time to break the cages. Ash walked in front of the Pokémon and made a placating gesture to the Pokémon to let him know he would not harm them. They all looked pitiful, but hopeful when the boy made no aggressive moves. Before he could do much else, he heard someone say, "Don't take another step, kid."

He turned around and met who he assumed did this. The woman's voice was coarse and she herself looked rugged. The woman had a blue and white stripped long-sleeved shirt and blue baggy pants. Her brown eyes looked cruel and her brown hair looked spiky. Pikachu's cheeks began to spark in disgust. Ash sweatdropped. She was pointing a gun at him.

"I don't know how someone like you got access to this area, but I know no one else should be here. Those Pokémon are none of your concern." The woman narrowed her eyes at him.

"Were you the one who caged them up?" Ash growled.

"Why ask such a dumb question?" The lady laughed. Pikachu got even more angry. Pikachu's cheeks began to spark even more wildly. The lady took note, "You better tell your electric rat to cool the jets. I'm not afraid of shooting you both down."

Ash took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Once he opened his eyes, they turned red. He narrowed them at the lady. The woman gasped and stepped back in shock. Ashton smirked sadistically and said, "Pikachu, get off my shoulder. I don't want to get you hurt. I got this."

Pikachu shook his head vehemently and clung on Ashton's shoulder tighter. Ashton sighed, but expected it. He glared at the woman. The lady didn't know what this boy was, so she shot at him, terrified by the eye color change. However, before she could shoot, Ashton had already come up behind her. He said with a chilling tone, "You sure you want to do that?"

"Wh-what are you?" The lady rasped.

"Someone who won't hesitate to kill you if you try something like that again." Ashton whispered from behind her. The lady jumped back and turned around in surprise. She got a shiver got her spine just hearing this kid talk. The deeper voice wasn't helping things. Ashton's red eyes were glowering. He demanded, "Release those Pokémon or else I will do to you much worse than you just tried doing to me."

"I don't care if you have inhuman speed or changing red eyes… you won't stop me from doing my job. Mt. Silver Pokémon turn up a nasty profit in the black market and I gotta get money somehow." The lady hissed and began shooting at Ashton.

Ashton frowned as he dodged each shot with ease. The lady began to scream as she fired at a higher rate. Ashton dodged them all effortlessly. Pikachu found himself struggling to hold on to his trainer from how fast he was moving. Eventually, the lady ran out of bullets and looked terrified at the red-eyed teen. Ashton cracked his knuckles and smirked. The lady then tried to throw her gun at the boy's head, but Ashton proved much too quick. He knocked it away before it could hit him.

Ashton had a feeling this lady didn't have any Pokémon on her own, otherwise she would have sent one out by now. Ashton wasn't complaining. A human with a gun was much easier to deal with than a Pokémon under the ownership of a bad person.

"My turn…" Ashton quickly approached the terrified poacher. His hands began to spark wildly with power. The lady grew blue in terror. She stepped back until she was against a tree. Ashton was inches away from electrocuting her. His red eyes held no mercy.

"Please… d-don't hurt me… I'll…" The lady scrambled to think of something to appease the boy. Ashton didn't care. He touched her shoulder with his electrified aura induced hand. The woman screamed out in agony.

"You'll what?" Ashton said in a slightly disinterested tone.

"Ahhhhh! I'll… I'll… tell you what you want! Stop! Please!" The lady begged. Ashton raised an eyebrow and let go. However, he still forced her near the tree. The lady was too petrified to move from her spot. She was glad he was not shocking her anymore.

Ashton made his hands return to normal. He narrowed his eyes at the lady and growled, "Spill."

"I'm… not the only person here. My group and I were sent here to obtain the Tyrant of the Mountain, a powerful Pokémon said to be on par with legendaries in strength. Our client wants that power for himself. I decided to try and make some extra money got capturing these Pokémon here. More Pokémon meant more profit." The lady explained.

"The Tyrant of the Mountain? Why do I get the feeling….?" Ashton shook his head and cut his thought short. Ashton immediately pinched a specific point in the lady's neck upon gaining what he wanted. She hissed in pain, then fell asleep. Pikachu looked at his trainer, somewhat appalled, but not surprised. Ashton gave an apologetic look at the mouse as he said, "You saw that she was going to kill us, right?"

 **"(Yeah, but still. It… just doesn't feel right seeing you act like this when I know you're a nice person. I'm not used to the counterbalance thing yet.)"** Pikachu admitted.

"That's understandable. I'm not used to our dynamic yet, either. I just feel sad that I acted like an idiot in my introduction to you. However, I'm happy with how far we've both come since then. I only hope our bond gets even tighter in the future, Pikachu." Ashton said in response. Pikachu chuckled and began to nuzzle his cheek against Ashton in affection. Ashton laughed in response. The mouse was tickling him.

 **"(Ashton, our bond is already tight. Ash is you and you are Ash. I trust you completely and would fight for you until the bitter end... no matter what side of you is out.)"** Pikachu gazed at him confidently.

"That's comforting to hear." Ashton made a small smile. His expression suddenly turned pensive, "I get the strangest feeling hearing a Pokémon dubbed, 'The Tyrant of the Mountain'. I would bet five Pokebucks that the tyrant is Larvitar as a Tyranitar."

 **"(I wouldn't be surprised. I hope he'll recognize you, though. He was a baby when we found him.)"** Pikachu noted.

"Hmm… I think he will. We will see what happens when we meet up with him." Ashton responded. Ashton stepped back in surprise when he looked up at the sky. Ashton noticed a powerful Hyper Beam in the distance to his north. It looked like it was toward the edge of the mountain. Ashton's eyes turned back to brown. He looked at Pikachu as he said, "We have to hurry. Before we go, use Iron Tail to break all of these cages."

Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder and made his tail glow a steely gray. One by one, Pikachu broke the locks on each of the cages. The Pokémon looked at the mouse, grateful, but they all were still in pain. Ash found himself sick to his stomach seeing all this, but did not visibly show it.

Ash then began to feed each Pokémon the type of berry he felt like would help speed up their recovery. He wanted to do more, he was also aware that more Pokémon might become endangered should Tyranitar succumb to this mysterious group's control. Suddenly, Lucario released herself from her capsule. With her aura sensors on the back of her head, she sensed all the Pokémon's pain. It overwhelmed her enough to do something about it.

Lucario aided Ash in healing the Pokémon by using Heal Pulse on them. Ash was surprised she knew this move, but was grateful. With their combined efforts, they managed to heal each Pokémon completely. The Pokémon looked thankful before going back to their normal lives.

Ash was about to return Lucario, but the jackal dodged the suctioning red light and shook her head. She argued, **"(Some terrible humans did this and I wouldn't be able to stand myself if I just stayed in my ball and did nothing. I'm staying out with you whether you like it or not.)"**

"Lucario…" Considering Lucario was known to be slightly timid, but polite, hearing Lucario speak in a forceful tone shocked Ash.

 **"(Tyrantiar is being poached like I was. I can't let some other Pokémon go through what I did.)"** Lucario continued. Ash laughed and made a reassuring look.

"No need to say more, Lucario. I saw a powerful attack that way. Let's go." Ash immediately headed north toward the mountain edge. Lucario was surprised to see him submit so easily. She was used to her superior, Sensei, telling her what to do and her not having any choice in the matter. Then, she remembered the type of boy she had made her partner. Though Lucario wasn't used to having more freedom, she was happy. Lucario nodded eagerly and followed him.

Ash eventually found herself out of the forest and more on rocky terrain. He noticed the Hyper Beams becoming more ferocious and took out Charizard as he was running. Charizard looked at his trainer and gestured him to get on. Ash, Pikachu and Lucario all jumped on Charizard's back. Charizard immediately took to the skies and went toward the Hyper Beams.

As they all got closer, they could hear pained, but terrible roars. Ash clenched his teeth as what he was seeing.

He saw three different people trying to restrain a rather large Tyranitar in an electrical capturing net, but it was resisting their efforts. Each person was using a Houndoom to bite and weaken the Tyrantiar. Ash noticed there were two men and one lady. All of them worse varying attire, but they all looked equipped to capture Pokémon. The man was wearing a full body black suit with gadgets attached to her waist. The other man was wearing the same thing her partner was wearing, but grey. The woman was the most causal of the group, wearing cameo shorts and a green shirt.

It looked like they had been struggling to restrain Tyrantiar for some time since they all were tired. Tyranitar's eyes were glowing red as he was resisting the group's control. His face looked dangerously murderous. In addition to the electrical net shocking Tyrantiar, there were several odd devices surrounding them. They looked like satellites. Upon seeing all of his Pokémon react negatively to some sort of sound they were hearing, Ash knew he needed to act fast before they were like Tyranitar.

The group looked like they were trying to load Tyranitar in the bad of a truck and had just weakened it to where he could move much. The electrical net was constantly draining his energy.

Ash's face looked disgusted. Ash commanded, "Charizard, use Flamethrower! Lucario, Aura Sphere! Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Destroy of the machines surrounding Tyrantiar!"

"What the?" The woman said in surprise as he noticed a teen on a Charizard charging straight for them. She rolled his eyes at what she saw as an annoying distraction from the main prize.

Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and surrounded himself in electrical energy. Charizard charged fire in his mouth. Lucario narrowed her eyes as she stayed on Charizard, but took aim. All three of them attacked the strange metal devices. Lucario made each of her aura sphere curve toward the machines. All of their attacks landed and caused an explosion. The three humans and Tyranitar was knocked back from the blast. The electrical net hadn't been disabled and still shocked the snared Tyranitar.

Ash jumped off of Charizard and landed on his feet beside Pikachu. Charizard landed beside him and Lucario jumped off of Charizard. All of for of them looked ready to rumble.

"I don't know who you are, but I know you're in a lot of trouble." The woman spat at Ash.

"…" Ash narrowed his eyes in response.

"Houndoom Squad, Triple Flamethrower!" The woman commanded.

"Charizard, stop all their attacks with your own Flamethrower!" Ash brought out his hand.

All three Houndooms focused their attack on Ash. Each one spat out fire toward Ash and his Pokémon. Charizard once again charge fire in his mouth and fired it at the dark types. The fire collided with each other and caused an explosion. The attacks clashed evenly with each other.

"What the…? Just how strong is this kid?!" One of the men moved back in shock.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Lucario, Aura Sphere! Knock out all of those Houndooms!" Ash said.

Pikachu immediately surrounded himself full of electrical energy. Lucario's eyes turned sharp as she brought out her paws and formed a ball full of aura. Pikachu attacked the Houndooms with all his might. The dark types howled in agony. While they were stunned from the electivity, Lucario took aim. She shot each aura sphere one by one, hitting each Houndoom. After being struck, each Houndoom had swiggly lines for eyes.

"He defeated each of us so easily. What are you?" The other man said, slightly impressed, but mostly terrified.

"I've only recently started to tap into my true potential. If you think I'm strong now, you haven't seen anything yet." Ash frowned. He was about to focus his attention on Tyranitar when his heart dropped. The woman, who Ash assumed to be in charge of the group, had a gun pointed at Tyranitar's blue crest. Her finger was close to pulling the trigger. It was like she knew the most vulnerable part of the rock and dark type Pokémon. The woman watched Ash's every move with calculated eyes.

"Don't come any closer." She said in a deadly voice.

"…" Ash merely stared her down. So did his three partners.

"Yeah… that's right. One more move and your little buddy will get hurt. I don't care how hurt this beast gets as long as it is kept alive for my client. I know you're way more sensitive towards its health than I am. It'll take only a few shots to subdue it further." The lady laughed wickedly.

"Tch." Ash sucked his teeth and looked at Tyranitar with saddened eyes. He didn't want to show any act of aggression to provoke the leader, but also wanted to help. The woman grinned cruelly as she knew she had the young teen where she wanted him.

* * *

 **A/N: Once again, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Ashton doesn't like to mess around, does he? He makes the interesting contrast to Ash... I wonder how their dynamic will work?**

 **I decided to release this chapter every other Sunday some point in the afternoon EST. My next semester is starting very soon, so I hope to complete another pre-written chapter before things get too heavy. See you in two weeks!**

 **Next Chapter: Overcoming Your Worst**

 **~SPG123~**


	6. Overcoming Your Worst

**A/N: Hey-oh and hello my lovely readers! Here is the fifth chapter! I do hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: As always, this story idea is mine, but Pokemon is Game Freak's.**

* * *

 _"The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance." -Brian Tracy_

* * *

Chapter 5: Overcoming Your Worst

Ash and his Pikachu, Charizard and Lucario were staring down a group of poachers. The woman looked at Ash as though she'd won the exchange. She decided to prepare to take Tyranitar away. Ash narrowed his eyes and racked his brain for ideas. Then, he felt the presence of his counterbalance.

 _"Ash, we have to do something. I'm not going to let Tyranitar get hurt or let those people take him."_ Ashton said.

 _"I don't want him hurt, either, but I'm trying to think of something."_ Ash responded. Ashton appeared pensive.

 _"Hmm… I'm feeling hesitant to show myself to a group of people, otherwise, I would have taken over by now."_ Ashton noted. Ash widened his eyes slightly. Ash was watching the two men intensify the electrical net's charge. Tyranitar howled in pain.

 _"I think you gave me an idea. Why not have us both come out?"_ Ash inwardly smiled. Ashton got what he was talking about and disagreed.

 _"Ash, are you crazy? If your ploy fails, we'd expose aura allegiance to regular humans. We don't need someone like the Zurui knowing we were here. The other woman didn't seem to know what aura guardians are. I don't know if the same could be said here."_ Ashton argued.

 _"I know it's reckless, but I need your help to do it. I can't think of anything else without Tyranitar getting hurt. We'll also need Lucario's help. We have to overwhelm them with our speed like you did to the lone woman earlier, but we need to be faster since there's more people here. We need to do this now before Tyranitar is transferred away or Tyranitar gets more restless than he already is."_ Ash noted.

 _"Ugh… fine. I don't like how much I trust you. You know that, right?"_ Ashton snorted. Ash laughed.

 _"Yeah, but I know you trust me because you like me."_ Ash snickered.

 _"Ugh. Can it. Let's just do this and hope Lucario gets the idea."_ Ash felt Ashton rolling his eyes inwardly. Ash smiled outwardly and closed his eyes. The men and his Pokémon were confused by this gesture. Pikachu then realized what was about to happen and made an indescribable expression.

"Kid. You gave up so easily? That's a little pathetic." One of the men commented. Ash shook his head.

"You're wrong." Ash said with a deadly tone. He forced himself to ignore Tyranitar's cries so he could focus his energy on the two goons watching him. Ash's voice sounded like a mix of two people and that baffled the men.

"What? Your voice wasn't like that before." The other man started to walk toward Ash to grab him. However, he was confused at the air around the boy getting increasingly warmer.

"I know… do you notice something else different about me?" Ash opened his eyes. His left eye was red and his right eye was brown. The two men assisting the poaching gasped and stepped back in fear. They didn't know what they were dealing with. Ash had an amused grin for a moment before his expression turned serious.

"What the hell?" The two men said.

"Lucario, use Extremespeed and follow my lead!" Ash commanded. Lucario blinked her eyes in shock, but nodded. She knew that whatever version of Ash this was, he was still her trainer.

One moment Ash was standing in front of the two men. Within the next instant, he was in front of the woman with the gun. She gasped and for a moment, their eyes met. Ash could see the fear in her eyes. She clearly wasn't expecting him to reach her so quickly. Using the woman's surprise as a weapon, he kicked the gun out of her hand and then kicked her in the stomach. The woman grunted as she was knocked away from Tyranitar and her truck.

"Such an impolite boy hitting a woman like me." The women sneered. She coughed slightly since Ash's kick had some power behind it.

"You lost that privilege the minute you threatened a Pokémon's life." Ash growled.

"What the hell are you, you inhuman monster? I've seen heterochromia in people before, but never had someone literally change their eye color on the spot." The woman now gestured her men to go after the boy. The men lunged toward Ash. Ash shook his head. Before they could do anything, Lucario intercepted them. Lucario knocked herself into them with her Extremespeed and promptly knocked them out by hitting each man in the head with a Bone Rush. Pikachu, Lucario and Charizard now were around the lady with Ash.

"The only people that are inhuman is your group." Ash said. The woman now looked at the boy in horror. She had no idea what to do. Ash stood in front of her and said, "Taking away a Pokémon's freedom for money is horrible. I'm not going to let you away with it."

Ash sighed and looked away. He pinched a specific part of her neck to make her fall asleep. The woman yelped, then promptly fell asleep. He found himself appreciative of what Aurora taught him for the past two weeks. He wasn't sure if would have been able to handle the entire poaching group on his lonesome without some of her training. Ash now focused his attention on Tyranitar.

Tyranitar was actively taking damage from the electric net. He was screaming in agony. Ash and his Pokémon quickly surrounded the net. He knew that Charizard, Lucario, Bulbasaur and Greninja couldn't touch the next without being damaged, so it was up to him and Pikachu. The two looked at each other and nodded.

With their combined efforts, they began to pull the net off of Tyranitar. Ash thanked Pikachu for constantly shocking him in the past because that helped his resistance toward electricity. Tyranitar wasn't making the effort easier. He kept moving around vigorously, roaring all the while. Ash grunted trying to keep Tyranitar down. His hands began to glow blue as he encased Tyranitar in his aura. Tyranitar looked shocked, but began to calm down.

Ash took a sigh of relief that his aura was soothing him enough to not move, but he still felt that Tyranitar was tense. His black eyes were studying the boy and watching his every move. He knew Tyranitar didn't trust him. Eventually, Ash and Pikachu managed to get the net off of Tyranitar. Tyranitar stood up straight and shook himself off. Though he had clearly been in pain earlier, he wasn't showing any weakness in his stance or look.

"Now… Tyranitar, are you okay, buddy?" Ash asked nicely. Tyranitar stared at Ash and his Pokémon with an emotionless expression. Then, his emotion turned into anger. Tyranitar started to snarl at the boy, wondering if he would evoke some sort of response. Ash looked straight into his eyes without flinching. Seeing that Ash wasn't afraid of him, he decided to do something else.

 **"GRRRRRAH!"** Tyranitar roared as his made his claws glow blue and go wide. Ash looked at the reptilian with determined eyes.

"Ack!" Ash grunted as he was struck directly by Tyranitar's Dragon Claw. He was knocked on the ground and hissed in pain.

 **"(Ash!)"** Lucario and Pikachu called out in anguish. Ash shook off the hit and once again approached the rock and dark type. Pikachu and Lucario was right behind him.

"Urggh…" Ash winced in slight pain, but shrugged it off. He said as convincingly as he could, "I know you're scared and confused, but please… don't focus on that. Focus on the good things. Those bad people won't lay other hand on you again. I'm here for you. I'm not one of those people."

 **"(Why should I believe you?! Humans are like a virus that must be destroyed. I won't let another human try and capture me!)"** Tyranitar charged up an orange beam in his mouth and promptly shot out a Hyper Beam at the boy. Ash's eyes widened as he promptly jumped out of the way. However, he was still affected by the blast radius when the attack landed on the ground. He grunted and lost his footing. However, the boy got back up promptly. Ash was trying to think about how he was going to get through to the angered Tyranitar.

 **"(He's hurt. I don't know how damaged those people made him before you came. He's putting out a tough front, but he's also scared to death. I can see the bitterness in his eyes, too. I had those eyes once.)"** Lucario noted.

"…" Ash took in the information, but didn't say anything. He was instead trying to see if he could use that to calm Tyranitar down more.

Tyranitar stomped his feet on the ground and roared again. Ash kept looking directly into his eyes. Tyranitar was confused by the constant eye contact and was wondering why Ash wasn't showing any signs of aggression back toward him. He easily had the tools with his Lucario, Pikachu and Charizard at his side. Still, he didn't trust the black-haired boy. He didn't want to take the risk of the boy's behavior being a façade.

 **"(Die, human!)"** This time, Tyranitar opened his mouth wide and made a silhouette of sharp teeth appear in front of him. Ash steeled himself for the Crunch attack. Using his quickness, he managed to dodge the attack without hurting Tyranitar. Tyranitar fell on the ground upon missing. Ash's Pokémon were quickly becoming more and more concerned about their trainer, but one look from Ash told them not to intervene. Though he seemed a little upset about Tyranitar attacking him, he also seemed confident.

"Tyranitar, don't you recognize me?" Ash huffed in slight sadness.

Tyranitar showed no recognition in his features. Instead, he showed rage. He once again charged up a Hyper Beam in his mouth and shot it at Ash and his Pokémon. Ash sighed and brought out his hands. Instead of dodging the attack, he used his aura to protect himself and his partners from it. Ash grunted when the Hyper Beam collided with his Protect emulation and the emulation was broken quickly. He still took some damage since he hadn't perfected that technique. Tyranitar packed a powerful punch, but that didn't deter Ash. Tyranitar stepped back in shock.

 **"(What?! I've never seen a human do that.)"** Tyranitar now was more audibly spooked. Ash sighed.

"Tyranitar, I'm an aura guardian. I just didn't show too many signs of it when you were a baby. You may be a little afraid, I'm not going to let you hurt me or my friends. Let me touch your scales. I want to use my aura to show you what's in my heart." Ash said with a patient smile. Tyranitar noted that Ash could understand him, too. Although a little afraid, he refused to show it.

 **"(I…)"** Tyranitar hesitated. The smile genuinely seemed caring. The rock and dark type Pokémon was confused at the gesture.

"C'mon Tyranitar. I won't bite." Ash laughed. The boy slowly started to approach Tyranitar. Tyranitar seemed to be in a bit of thought.

 **"…"** Tyranitar stared at the boy and watched him approach slowly. The Pokémon was aware that Ash didn't want to provoke him, but considering how the rest of his Pokémon was on edge toward him made him wary. They seemed ready to charge in suddenly. Tyranitar narrowed his eyes. He decided to stick to his guns and not trust this boy. Why else would he still have those Pokémon out other than to attack him while his guard was down?

Tyranitar jumped back before Ash could put a hand on his scales. Ash gasped and shook his head. Then, Tyranitar punched his fists into the ground and caused an earthquake. Lucario and Pikachu stumbled on the ground while Charizard flew up to avoid the attack. Tyranitar seemed to be privy to this because he immediately had several stones surround him rapidly and shot them at Ash's Pokémon. Charizard roared in pain and fell on the ground with a thud.

The combination of Earthquake and Stone Edge, plus his earlier battle with Lucario proved nearly too much for Pikachu. He took the hits, but it looked like he was barely standing. Lucario seemed to show an affinity toward healing herself over time as she had the most energy still of the three. She looked at Tyranitar sadly.

"Stubborn Pokémon. Heh, just like… me." Ash said once Tyranitar finished his onslaught. He smiled again, but this time it was much more competitive. He spoke with a bit of stubbornness himself, "So... you're gonna play hard to catch? I'm fine with that. I _will_ get through to you."

 **"(Master Ash… His rock and ground type attacks did a number on me, but I'm not down.)"** Lucario told him.

"Lucario… the devices that Tyranitar were exposed to might have augmented his strength because I know Pikachu wouldn't have taken so much damage so easily. Charizard, I understand a bit more since Stone Edge is four times effective. I think this is a good time to battle as one. Are you up for that?" Ash said to the fighting type. He threw a stone to her. The jackal barely caught it. She gasped and looked at the stone. Lucario widened her eyes. She didn't expect Ash to trust her this much. Lucario felt honored.

 **"(Of course! I won't let you down!)"** Lucario said, determined.

Ash picked up Pikachu and had him sitting upright against Charizard. He made sure Charizard and Pikachu were comfortable before engaging Tyranitar again. Tyranitar was eyeing him distrustfully, but he did not stop Ash from doing this. It was like he was watching how Ash acted. Ash noted he had a lot of negativity built up in him and wondered what happened in the last five years. He decided to focus on that once he calmed down Tyranitar. Lucario stood in front of Ash, somewhat weakened, but eager to fight. Tyranitar stood on the other side with narrowed, but intimidating eyes.

"I never imagined this would be the time I would do this, but let's combine our strength into one! Mega evolution!" Ash touched his Mega Bangle and it resonated with Lucario's Mega Stone. Lucario started to change form. Her blue tail became submerged in tan fur. She got a little taller and her amicable red eyes turned sharp. She developed several black markings on her body. Once the form changed ended, Lucario roared fiercely with the mega insignia above her. Lucario had an air about her that made her fierce, but eager to fight. Tyranitar bared his sharp teeth in challenge.

"Tyranitar, if you don't believe my words, maybe you will believe in my battling. Lucario, let's do this!" Ash said.

 **"(Right!)"** Lucario nodded.

Tyranitar started things off by stomping his feet into the ground. Immediately, the area was surrounded in a sandstorm. Luckily for Ash, Lucario wasn't affected by this too much because of her steel typing. Ash could barely keep himself standing. He said in a wobbly voice, "Lucario, jump up and use Bone Rush!"

Lucario jumped into the air before the Earthquake could do serious damage and formed a bone shaped weapon in her paws. As she had mega evolved, the attack seemed to have a more powerful aura to it. Lucario then launched herself at the reptilian Pokémon and knocked her club into his head. Tyranitar was sent slightly into the ground as Lucario made a slight tremor from the collision. From how Tyranitar was, he was trapped into the ground from the waist up.

Ash found himself impressed with Lucario's power increase and noted that he felt more connected to Lucario while both him and his counterbalance was active. He felt like Lucario wouldn't be this powerful normally if his eyes were just brown.

Tyranitar, though he looked like he was stuck, was not deterred. The ground began to shake again. This time, Tyranitar buried himself under the ground. Lucario immediately closed her eyes and brought out her black appendages and began to sense the area. Ash closed his eyes and did the same, except his hair was flowing freely in aura. He could feel Tyranitar digging through the ground. They both opened their eyes sharply once they felt Tyranitar beginning to surface.

"Lucario, jump up as Tyranitar surfaces and use Aura Sphere!" Ash commanded.

Lucario nodded and waited. Once the ground began to shake underneath her, she jumped up. Tyranitar tried to land an uppercut with Dig, but missed. Lucario put her paws together and shot at the rising reptilian with a ball full of aura. Tyranitar widened his eyes as he took the point black fighting type move to the face. Tyranitar gasped in pain as he felt into the ground with a loud thud.

Tyranitar tried his hardest to get back up, but his body was failing him. The damage he took from the poachers weakening him as well as his battle with Ash proved too much. Lucario landed right beside Ash and changed back into her regular form. The sandstorm petered out. Ash knew the battle was done.

Tyranitar growled at Ash as he approached him. Ash could see the hate and resentment in his eyes. Ash put his hands up into a placating gesture. Tyranitar turned away from the boy, dejected and upset. He hated he was at a human's mercy.

 **"(… Just end me already. Why are you being so patient with me?)"** Tyranitar roared at the boy. Ash put a hand on his cheek. Tyranitar snapped at him. Ash hissed and noticed his hand was bleeding from getting bitten. Tyranitar continued to growl at the boy. Ash sighed and promptly used his aura to heal the wound.

"Tyranitar, the only reason why I decided to mega evolve Lucario was to show you the possible bond we can share in the future if you trust me a little. I'm not going to hurt you no matter what you do to me." Ash said. Lucario decided to add in her own input.

 **"(I haven't been with Master Ash long. I still am not sure if I can trust him completely, but I know he's a good human and that our trust will grow with time. His mannerisms and his interactions speak of him as a caring person. My partners reflected this attitude, too, when I ate lunch with them.)"** Lucario told Tyranitar. Tyranitar seemed surprised to hear this. He was much more willing to listen to a Pokémon than a human. Ash sighed at her calling him 'Master' again, but decided not to say anything this time.

 **"(What do you know about this human? Why do you take such a risk being with him? You don't know if he will change and harm you.)"** Tyranitar argued.

 **"(He helped me a couple a years ago against some poachers who had turned me to stone. I attacked him, like you, because I was afraid he was like them. I saw that he wasn't when I connected my aura with him. I felt his kind heart. If it wasn't Master Ash, I probably would still be a bitter Riolu who knows where. I connected my aura with him a second time recently and I sensed he hadn't changed.)"** Lucario explained.

 **"(…)"** Tyranitar didn't know how to respond to that.

"Tyranitar… I'm not sure what happened to you in the last five years, but I want to help you move past it. Please… give me the chance to." Ash pleaded.

 **"(…)"** Tyranitar looked up into Ash's eyes and studied them. Once again, he didn't see any signs of malice from him. Ash having differently colored eyes was odd, but it didn't look out of place on him. He closed his eyes in thought. Then, he came to a decision.

"Tyranitar, I'm not going to hurt you. What can I do to show you that?" The young guardian asked. Tyranitar's eyes softened and shook his head.

 **"(I recognized you, you know, when you first came here. The boy that hatched my egg and helped me get out of my shell.)"** Tyranitar revealed.

"…!" Ash stepped back in surprise. He found himself a little annoyed that Tyranitar knowingly attacked him, but understood that the Pokémon was under a lot of stress. He noticed Tyranitar's demeanor shift and wondered if Lucario's words got to him. Tyranitar slowly got back up, having been down long enough. However, he sat down and looked down at Ash. While sitting, he rivaled Charizard in size.

 **"(This Lucario speaks sincerely of you. The treatment of the other Pokémon is quite different from the humans with the Houndoom earlier, too. You tended to them first before you battled me. You have shown me that you don't mean any harm.)"** Tyranitar decided.

"Tyranitar, I'm glad I was able to show you my heart. I'm also glad that Lucario could help prove it to you." Ash smiled. Seeing a human smile at him unnerved the Tyranitar. He shook his head and looked away from Ash.

 **"(I wasn't sure if you had changed like those rangers you left me with changed. I didn't want to take any chances. I'm… sorry for what I was doing. You don't know the pain that happened after you let me go back to my mom.)"** Tyranitar told him. Ash put a hand on his chin in thought.

"We can talk about it more if you're up for it. Can you come with me on my journey?" Ash asked.

 **"…"** Tyranitar blinked his eyes in surprise at the sudden question. He wasn't sure how to respond.

"I promise you… you will be safe with me. Also, you'll meet so many Pokémon like when we journeyed together. I haven't changed too much outside being a bit more solemn myself." Ash said and admitted.

 **"(Your eyes changed. You also seemed to have gotten a lot more powerful.)"** Tyranitar observed. He found himself impressed with Ash's strength when he fought the poachers with his Lucario.

"Oh… I forgot I was still at one with my other self. Let me go back to normal." Ash's left eye changed back to brown. Tyranitar was confused at the phrasing, but figured he would know what Ash meant soon enough. Ash chuckled, "How do I look to you now? A little older than the Ash you met?"

 **"(You have a different air about you now. You seem… more competent and less goofy.)"** Tyranitar noted.

"Hey…" Ash was slightly offended by the observation. Pikachu had to hide a bit of a chuckle. Ash grew annoyed with his starter Pokémon, too. Tyranitar observed the interaction and laughed.

 **"(That's good, though. If I am to be captured by a trainer, I'm glad the person before me not only cares about me, but also seem to know what he's doing. I'm not sure if I would respect you or give you the time of day otherwise. I do have a reputation to keep.)"** Tyranitar grinned, baring his fangs out.

"Tyranitar…" Ash seemed touched. Then, he nodded. Ash smirked as he said excitedly, "Go, Poke Ball!"

Ash threw a Poke Ball toward the Tyranitar's head. The ball bounced off of the Armor Pokémon's head slightly before transforming Tyranitar into a red light. The ball slowly landed into Ash's hands and began to shake. Pikachu got up and so did Charizard. They all gathered around Ash and watched as the ball moved back and forth. Then, the ball made a 'ding' sound. Ash had his marks glowing from excitement. He held up the ball triumphantly.

"Welcome to the team, buddy." Ash hugged the ball. The capsule seemed to gleam slightly. Ash then took out two more balls and said. "Come back out, Tyranitar! Let's go Greninja and Bulbasaur!"

Ash threw up all three in the air and summoned his newly caught Tyranitar, his Bulbasaur and his Greninja. Ash had them all stand together. Ash noticed how small Pikachu and Bulbasaur was in comparison to Tyranitar and Charizard. Greninja stood around Lucario's height, but he was crouching. He couldn't believe he had all six of his partners. He looked forward to learning with each of them.

Tyranitar observed the other two Pokémon he hadn't seen yet. Greninja seemed cool, calm and collected. He could tell that Greninja was also eyeing him closely, not from mistrust, but from caution. He liked that. He hoped to train alongside the fellow dark type soon. He could sense a latent power in Greninja, too, which intrigued him. Bulbasaur also seemed cool, calm and collected, but he seemed much friendlier than Greninja. He was greeting him into the party. Tyranitar shyly waved at the grass and poison type.

Ash said, "You six will be my guardian partners. We're going to learn and grow together. We're gonna be the best of the best. I want everyone to put their best foot forward because once I head back home, we're going to be training like crazy. You're gonna see things from me that are weird, but empowering. Who knows? Maybe my aura will help you get stronger in different ways. I can't wait to see what everyone can do over time."

All of his Pokémon nodded. They all seemed eager for the future.

"Now that Tyranitar is with us, we're gonna keep getting stronger by jumping off each other strengths and weaknesses. We need to head back to our home in the Tree of Beginning. Then, the real training starts. Tyranitar…" Ash turned to the Armor Pokémon. Tyranitar tilted his head in confusion. Ash said, "The first thing I'm doing when we get back home is opening you up. There's some things I want to talk to you about in private considering you don't exactly trust me yet. Are you alright with this?'

 **"(Yes.)"** Tyranitar nodded.

"Great! For now… let's report these people to Officer Jenny. I'm not sure how long they will be out for, but I don't want them to imprison any more Pokémon. Charizard, are you too tired to fly to Viridian City? I think that's the nearest city from here since the Silver Town isn't here right now. The Silver Conference isn't happening at the moment." Ash inquired.

 **"(Eh… Tyranitar packed a mean punch, but I should still manage.)"** Charizard grinned.

"Good. Return everyone!" Ash took out four Poke Balls and returned Tyranitar, Bulbasaur, Lucario and Greninja. Pikachu jumped on his shoulder. Ash mounted Charizard. Charizard began to hover on the ground slightly and waited for Ash's command. He told the draconian, "Let's go and quickly."

Charizard nodded. He was feeling hurt from the Stone Edge, but wasn't going to show that to Ash. Albeit slowly, Charizard began to fly up and east toward Viridian City.

* * *

 **A/N: With this, Ash had officially reunited with all six of his guardian Aspects. Seems like he'll have quite the powerful team comp when refined. I wonder how his relationship with all of his Pokemon will develop...?**

 **I do hope you guys all have a lovely day and I will see you guys again in two weeks.**

 **Next Chapter: On the Road to Viridian City**

 **~SPG123~**


	7. On the Road to Viridian City

**A/N: Greetings and hello my lovely readers! I apologize for not having this out last Sunday, but I actually forgot to put it up then. I realized this around Tuesday and decided to wait until today to submit this. I've had this chapter done for a while, too. I've been busy with college so my mind was focused on that. However, I hope you enjoy this chapter, though!**

* * *

 _"I do know that the slickest way to lie is to tell the right amount of truth-then shut up." ― Robert A. Heinlein_

* * *

Chapter 6: On the Road to Viridian City

Ash and Charizard made their way to Viridian City as quickly as they could. Once at the city, Ash had a few things he wanted to do outside of reporting some poachers, but he also wanted to get his team healed up. He wasn't at good at healing things with his aura like Serena nor did he have the hands-on experience using the herbs and berries around him like his mother. He knew he was a little more dependent on others to heal.

Charizard and Ash passed by the Indigo Plateau. He knew that building was the barrier for most trainers entering the mountain. Ash wondered if he would be questioned for being into a highly prohibited area. Ash sighed and shook his head to himself. He knew he had the badges necessary to enter. He also knew Professor Oak well. The boy was sure he would be fine.

Eventually, Ash and Charizard started to fly over Viridian City. Ash immediately began to scout for the Pokémon Center. Viridian City was a large town and Ash was never here for too long, so he didn't know where most things were. Ash found it after being in the air for a few moments. He directed Charizard to the Pokémon Center and landed him. Then, he promptly headed inside the center after returning the fire type.

At the middle of the center, there was a Nurse Joy. She seemed pretty busy helping other trainers out. He noticed there was a second Nurse Joy with a Blissey assisting her. This one noticed Ash coming in and wondered what was up.

"Hello young trainer! Do you need one of us to heal your Pokémon?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Yes, please." Ash nodded.

"Alright. Give me a moment to get a tray to put your Poke Balls on. Does your Pikachu go in a Poke Ball?" The Joy asked. Ash immediately shook his head 'no'. Although Joy thought of this as peculiar, she shrugged it off. She got a container of six different slots for Poke Balls. Pikachu sat in the last slot with a gentle smile. Joy then said, "We should have your Pokémon healed up in an hour. Do you need to get checked out yourself?"

"Huh?" Ash blinked his eyes.

"Your clothes… there's a hole in it at your chest. I also see you scratched and burned as if a Pokémon attacked you. Were you attacked?" The nurse began to inspect Ash more closely and grew more concerned. Ash suddenly grew a bit nervous. He wasn't sure how to explain himself.

"Oh… um…" Ash began to rack his brain for ideas. He decided that he shouldn't get too specific with Nurse Joy on his encounter with poachers, but decided to focus on his encounter with Tyranitar.

Ash responded, "I was trying to catch a Tyranitar, but it got pretty rough with me. I managed to catch it, but my Pokémon got roughed up in the process."

"That explains a lot, but… that also means you were just at Mt. Silver. Tyranitar aren't indigenous to Kanto, but I know Mt. Silver is where you can find Larvitar and Mr. Silver isn't too far from here. Most trainers can't enter it right now. You could get in big trouble for that. Can you tell me your name for the officer?" Nurse Joy eyed him suspiciously.

"My name is Ash Ketchum. Can you please heal my Pokémon? I'll explain more when I know they're going to be okay." Ash requested. Joy seemed hesitant to help Ash, but one look in his eyes told her that he wasn't a bad kid. Still, she wondered why he went out there in the first place. Only for a Tyranitar?

"…Very well. Just so you know… I'm going to call Officer Jenny over here to talk to you. You're not in trouble, but you definitely need to be questioned." Joy told him. Ash smiled upon hearing that.

"That's actually perfect. I need to talk to her about some poachers I found there." Ash said. Nurse Joy gasped. Then, her expression turned serious.

"Okay… I'm definitely calling her after I begin healing your Pokémon. Wait about thirty minutes." Joy said and walked off with his Pokémon and Pikachu. Pikachu waved goodbye at his trainer and Ash waved back with a small smile. Joy could see the adoration between the two.

"Thank you." Ash thanked.

Ash went to a bench and sat down to wait. He began to visibly look down and began to speak with his counterbalance to pass the time. Ash said, _"Isn't it crazy that we have all our guardian partners now, Ashton? It's pretty exciting!"_

 _"I agree with you, but we're not out of the woods yet. I'm not sure how we're going to explain how a sixteen-year-old kid managed to take down four armed poachers. Even with Pokémon, you would expect one of our Pokémon to have gotten shot. It's kind of miraculous how no one got shot and that the only damage you took was from Tyranitar… whom you weren't trying to retaliate back against."_ Ashton pointed out.

 _"Hmm… you have a good point."_ Ash put a hand on his chin in thought.

 _"There's also the problem of explaining how we managed to subdue the whole group on own lonesome. We can't exactly talk to them about our guardian status. You can't mention me, either."_ Ashton told him.

 _"Dang it, Ashton. I hate when you make sense."_ Ash inwardly pouted.

 _"I almost always make sense. I'm your counterbalance, after all."_ Ashton snickered.

 _"Hey… I can make sense… most of the time."_ Ash growled. Ashton laughed at how unsure he sounded at that last part.

 _"You don't think about a situation as much as I do usually."_ Ashton pointed out.

 _"I mean… you don't think much when you're anger crazy."_ Ash said slightly in retaliation. Ashton grew slightly irritated. He knew Ash was referencing when he first came out resentful of the world.

 _"Watch it. You're even worse than me. You're hella scary when you're angry."_ Ashton growled.

 _"…"_ Ash didn't respond to that. Ash visibly closed his eyes in thought. He also sighed to himself. Ashton knew that he referenced Ash's rage, but also knew that Ash grew scared of himself whenever that happened. Ashton knew Ash was more sensitive to losing control of himself and temporarily forgot that when retorting back. Ashton immediately felt guilty for reminding him of the past.

 _"Sorry, Ash. I didn't mean to remind you about…"_ Ashton started to apologize, but Ash cut him off.

 _"No, no. You're right. I need to control my emotions so if I do get angry, I don't want to go overboard again. I started our bickering, anyway. I shouldn't have mentioned how you first came out… you had every right to be upset at the time. As for my side, I never want Serena to look at me so terrified again…"_ Ash solemnly said.

 _"Oh boy. Ash…"_ Ashton didn't know how to make him feel better. Ash focused on Officer Jenny again.

 _"I'm going to think of something to tell Jenny when she comes. Just you wait."_ Ash huffed. Ashton smugly laughed.

 _"I already have something you can tell her, though. While you were talking to Joy, I was thinking about a good story to say while mostly still being true."_ Ashton told him.

 _"Wow. You're handy."_ Ash grumbled, both impressed and annoyed that Ashton had already thought of something. He still appreciated it, but wanted to try on his own.

 _"Haha… leave the overthinking to me, dude. I'm going to transfer my thoughts to you in the form of aura. Go to a bathroom to hide yourself so people can't visibly see it. There's a lot of scenarios I thought of and I don't want to discuss them all. Not sure if I would have time to."_ Ashton instructed.

 _"Why can't you use the subtle influence trick on me and explain yourself?"_ Ash questioned.

 _"That's a good point, but I want to try out something Mother taught me. If it works, I won't need to disguise my voice to match yours. Besides, they could notice the slight red gleam in your eyes if I did subtle influence on you. Wanna try?"_ Ashton asked. Ash found himself curious and decided there wasn't much to lose.

 _"I'm up for it, I guess. I'll go now."_ Ash nodded to himself and immediately tried to look for a bathroom to use.

Subtle influence was when a counterbalance temporarily took control of their balance without the balance knowing. There's usually a slight tint in the balance's eyes, but it's almost undetectable unless someone looks closely. Ash never remembered if Ashton took control with subtle influence and he felt slightly dazed afterward.

Ashton and Ash decided to call Aurora 'Mom' and her counterbalance, Aru, 'Mother' to avoid confusing the two when talking with them. However, Ash also called Aurora 'Ruru' and Aru 'Aruru' sometimes. He'd somewhat grown out of doing that as he saw those nicknames as more of his childhood nicknames for them, but he slipped up when either side of Aurora embarrassed him. Ash visibly had an indescribable expression upon finding out Ashton had been taking over their body when he wasn't aware.

Ash decided to look around himself. He remembered that this Pokémon Center had been rebuilt quite a few times since he was ten. He knew he was he reason why it needed to be rebuilt about six years ago. Though it was stressful losing Pikachu at the time to Team Rocket, he still found himself chuckling at the memory. It's crazy what's happened since obtaining Pikachu as his first partner. They shared so many memories.

Ash noticed how renovated the center was as he was searching. The beige tiled floor looked clean and the center felt more than just a healing facility. He noticed there was also a Poke Mart inside here now. He liked this change. He felt like the Pokémon Center was more of a hub area for trainers to utilize and he appreciated that. Ash eventually managed to find a bathroom while inside the Poke Mart portion of the center. Fortunately for him, it was open and there was only one toilet to use.

Ash quickly closed the door and locked it. He nodded to himself. His eyes turned red as he encased himself in blue aura. Ashton concentrated as he sent his thoughts to Ash. Internally, Ash took it all in. He realized how carefully Ashton thought everything out, but hoped everything will be fine. Ashton switched back to Ash when he was done.

As he left the bathroom, Ash asked Ashton, _"How did you learn to do that?"_

 _"Sometimes, when you're asleep, I take control and go to Mother for guidance. She's been teaching me some things only counterbalances can do. Mom doesn't know that she does this, too. It was like a little secret until I told you just now."_ Ashton revealed.

 _"I… I don't know how to feel about that."_ Ash said, somewhat jittery. That made him wonder what Ashton might do when he's asleep. Ash felt curious, but also slightly nervous. He trusted his counterbalance completely, but he still felt odd about the situation.

 _"It's best you don't look into it. Mother has helped me hone the subtle influence technique on you, too. It's really fun finding out how counterbalances can manipulate the body's inner space both to benefit and hinder the balance. It's really useful."_ Ashton cackled deviously.

 _"Uh… I'm really scared now."_ Ash said immediately.

 _"Hahaha. As you should be."_ Ashton continued to cackle. He began to feel Ash's anxiety become more pronounced. Ashton sighed. He said in a serious, but relenting tone. _"I don't think we'll get to a point where I'm stupidly angry at you enough to try using what I learned against you, so please don't worry. Despite my taunting or teasing, I care a lot about you."_

 _"Aww… Ashton. I care about you, too."_ Ash chirped. Ashton huffed. Ash found himself blushing uncontrollably and figured it was because of Ashton feeling a little embarrassed. Ash laughed at his counterbalance.

 _"Don't expect me to turn this conversation into a peace and love thing. I still can't stand you, too."_ Ashton grumbled. Ash continued to laugh. Ash knew Ashton wasn't the warmest person, so he anticipated him to say something rude.

 _"And I wouldn't have you any other way."_ Ash responded.

Ash started to focus on his surroundings again and noticed that Joy was looking for something. She was with Officer Jenny. Ash assumed they were looking for him. Joy pointed to him upon noticing Ash was leaving the Poke Mart and directed herself and Jenny toward him. Ash forced himself to become calm.

Jenny said, "You're the trainer who went to Mt. Silver, correct?"

"Yes." Ash nodded.

"Alright… let's go to somewhere more private so I can question you further. Joy, do you mind us using your personal room so no other trainer can disturb us?" Jenny asked.

"Sure. Follow me." Joy said and started to direct them back into the Pokémon Center area.

Ash, Jenny, Joy walked to the Pokémon Center area and then went behind the main counter of the center. Joy took out a pink card and had it scanned by the door. The door unlocked and opened on its own. Joy gestured Ash to go in first. Then, Jenny went in and finally Joy. Joy already had some chairs out for everyone to sit down in. Ash noticed how cozy it was in here. It felt like a living room in a way. Ash promptly sat down. Jenny decided to say standing while Joy sat adjacent to Ash. Jenny took out a tablet and tapped on the screen a few times. Then, she gave her undivided attention to Ash.

"Now that we are alone, I want to let you know that I took the liberty of looking up your Pokémon League profile. It says here you have quite the number of accolades including being a finalist in the Kalos League and a semifinalist during the Sinnoh League. Looking you up further, I see that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." Jenny said.

"Huh?" Ash blinked his eyes in confusion.

"It says that your father was the former Indigo League Champion Redrick Ketchum while your mother is the current Hokorian Champion Auroralia Ketchum. Red was a notable trainer in Kanto, beating Team Rocket the first time and catching every Kanto Pokémon. He was a true Pokémon Master. As for your mother, Hokori is one of the toughest regions in the world so to have the Champion as your mother speaks volumes of what you might have been exposed to. You have quite a bit of notoriety behind you by your heritage alone." Jenny noted.

"Uh… how did my profile update?" Ash wondered in an innocent, but suspicious tone.

"Your mother updated it about a couple of weeks ago. She didn't change much outside of your family information." Jenny noted.

 _"Considering how much effort it took for Mom to find and reunite with us, I'm not surprised she did that. She's proud of you and wants to show you off a bit, haha. She also wants to show that you're not one to mess with, from what it seems."_ Ashton said in their head.

"The main reason I looked up your profile was to see if you had collected all the Kanto and Johto badges because you need them to have permission to enter. I realized reading your accomplishments that you have those badges and more. You won't get into any trouble for entering Mt. Silver, Ash." Jenny said with a smile.

"Thank Mew…" Ash sighed in relief.

"However, I still want to know about those poachers. Did you know they were going to be there? Why did you go to Mt. Silver in the first place? I know your father used to hang around in the mountain, but there's no reason for people go there when the Silver Conference isn't coming up." Jenny questioned.

"I didn't know that they would be there. I had went to Mt. Silver to reunite with Tyranitar, a Pokémon I had found five years ago. After I ate some food with my Pokémon, I found some cages further in the woods that lead to the mountain and there was a lady with no Pokémon caging the wild Pokémon there. She had a gun as a way to threaten them." Ash explained.

"A gun?!" Joy and Jenny widened their eyes.

"Yeah. My mom taught me some hand to hand combat, so I subdued her before she could shoot me. I then released the Pokémon with the help of Pikachu and Lucario." Ash said. It was still true, but he still felt uneasy not explaining himself further. Just like Ashton predicted, this explanation played to their concern for him.

"I'm just glad you didn't get too injured. How did you manage to get here?" Joy asked.

"Despite being weakened by Tyranitar, Charizard managed to fly us over here. How are the Pokémon, by the way?" Ash asked, genuinely curious.

"I'm done healing them with Blissey. Pikachu, Tyranitar, Charizard and Lucario took a lot of damage, but your Bulbasaur and Greninja didn't. None of their injuries were too much for us to handle! I'll give them back to you once Jenny gets the information she needs." Joy informed him. Ash sighed in relief.

"Was there only one poacher? Was Tyranitar the main prize?" Jenny questioned.

"There were four in total. Three of them were trying to subdue Tyranitar when I got there and he seemed to be the main Pokémon they were going after. With the help of my Pokémon, I was able to subdue those three as well." Ash recalled.

"Did those three also have guns? Were they using Pokémon or did they not have Pokémon like the first poacher you encountered?" Jenny asked further.

"Yes. The three poachers that was together had their Houndoom weakening Tyranitar." Ash nodded.

"You must be quite the trainer to not have gotten hurt from that. I imagine you were frightened going against all those people, too. Can you give a detailed account as to what they did to you and Tyranitar as well as how you managed to not only subdue Tyranitar, but get here afterward? I noticed you were being a bit vague." Jenny narrowed her eyes.

Ash took a deep breath and calmed himself. He began to say what happened, but Ashton's version of it. He talked about how he used his Pokémon to defeat the poachers' Pokémon first and then talked about how his Lucario knocked down each person one by one while they were preoccupied with him. He told them how he used himself as a distraction for them to shoot, but he didn't mention that they almost shot Tyranitar to prevent him from retaliating. That would have forced him to think up an excuse as to how he managed to get out of that situation. Ash said after all the poachers were knocked unconscious, his focused his attention on Tyranitar.

Ash then talked about trying to calm down Tyranitar as he was rattled because of the poachers and because of his mistrust of humans. The boy told them that Tyranitar resisted him at first, but he eventually managed to earn enough of his trust to catch him. Not once did Ash go into detail on his guardian powers. Jenny listened intently.

Ash hated that he had to lie about Lucario knocking the poachers unconscious, but also knew it wasn't completely false. He hoped Jenny would believe it. One look in her eyes told him that she did. Ash sighed in relief internally, but kept a serious outward expression. Once he was done, both Joy and Jenny seemed horrified, but relieved that Ash was okay.

"What you did was super dangerous. You could have been shot using yourself as a bait!" Jenny reprimanded him.

"I know, but… I couldn't just stand there and do nothing!" Ash argued. Jenny sighed.

"Well, I thank you for saving those Pokémon. The poachers used the fact that most trainers can't go to Mt. Silver to begin capturing the wild Pokémon there. Are the poachers still unconscious?" Jenny inquired.

"I'm not sure, but they were when I left. I wanted to heal my Pokémon as soon as I can, so I left after catching Tyranitar." Ash responded.

"Okay. I'm going to survey the area with a few other Officer Jennies and bring them to justice. You don't have to worry about those Pokémon anymore. I commend you for your bravery, though reckless it was…" Jenny said. Jenny asked, "Do you know what their group was called? Or any of their names?"

"No, unfortunately." Ash shook his head. He added, "Everything happened so quickly… I wouldn't be surprised if the poachers are feeling a bit weak from Lucario's blows. Will they go to jail?"

"We'll make sure of it. Don't worry about it now. It's over." Jenny said.

Ash forced a smile. He was a bit nervous because those people would remember their encounter with him. He was sure that they would still get apprehended, but he wondered if any of the Jennies would believe their story. The young guardian doubted it. Kantonians thought that guardians were a myth so the chances were low that any native Kantonian would believe them.

"I'll get your Pokémon now. Thank you for being patient and I'm sorry I put you through that." Joy left the room to get the container with Ash's Pokémon. Jenny was inspecting Ash a bit further.

"Despite what you went through, you don't seem too injured. How did you get a hole in your shirt? It looks like you were stabbed since I see dried blood, but you yourself aren't injured." Jenny asked.

Ash gulped, but stayed composed. He had forgotten about Lucario's hug from earlier, but Ashton didn't. Ashton knew she may ask that. Ash said, "I know this is weird, but I wasn't expecting to go in a city before I headed back home. I thought I would find Tyranitar, catch him, then fly back, but… I got sidetracked with those poachers. This is an old shirt of when my Lucario hugged me and I got stabbed from it. The wound is healed now. My Lucario and some of my other Pokémon are super affectionate. I went out with this shirt because I was a bit too lazy to find something else. It's a little embarrassing being out like this."

"Ah, that makes some sense, but you should have worn something cleaner. I guess it doesn't matter, though." Jenny shrugged. "I need to head to Mt. Silver and apprehend those thugs. I'll leave you be. Thank you for the information."

"Thank you for dealing with these poachers so the wild Pokémon can be safer." Ash said in kind. Jenny curtly nodded at the boy and hurried out of the Pokémon Center to head to Mt. Silver. It was in this time, that Joy came back in and brought the container with Ash's Pokémon.

Pikachu immediately jumped toward Ash, tackled him and nuzzled his cheek affectionately. Pikachu seemed to be glowing with health. Ash laughed at the contact and slightly pleaded for him to stop. Joy watched the interaction in awe because Ash didn't show any sign of pain or paralysis being nuzzled by Pikachu. Ash stopped his partner Pokémon by rubbing Pikachu's cheek with his index finger.

Joy noted, "You seem to have a high tolerance for electricity."

"When you have a Pikachu as strong as this one, you kind of have to. You don't know how many times he's shocked me over the years." Ash laughed. He turned to Pikachu, "Right, buddy?"

 **"(Yep!)"** Pikachu chirped in agreement. All Nurse Joy heard was 'Pika'.

Although she thought the duo was a little strange, she could see the genuine love they had for each other. It caused her to smile. Joy said, "Well, I hope you two and the rest of your Pokémon have a wonderful day."

"Thanks! Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash turned to his partner Pokémon. Pikachu nodded.

Ash hurried out of Joy's personal room and out of the center. Then he took out Charizard and asked him to fly them back to the Tree of the Beginning. The fire and flying type nodded and gestured the boy to get on. Ash noticed the sun was beginning to set so he needed to head back quickly. Ash mounted his trusty Charizard and flew high into the sky.

As he flew back, the boy couldn't help but think, _"Mom, I hope you made it to Hokori safe and sound. Serena, I hope you're okay. Hopefully, I can get there and help you before Grandma and Grandpa does something stupid…"_

* * *

 **A/N: The reason I had Mt. Silver be prohibited was because it references the Gen 2 games preventing trainers from entering it before you had all the Kanto and Johto badges. Hope you guys enjoyed the reference!**

 **Let's see what happened to Serena while Ash was gone. The next few chapters will focus on Serena and her interactions with Ash's grandparents while Ash was gone, so we won't see Ash for a little bit after this. How will Mew get involved? Find out in the next chapter...**

 **Next Chapter: Friend of My Enemy**

 **~SPG123~**


	8. Friend of My Enemy

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! We're going to see what Serena went through as Ash went to get Lucario and Tyranitar. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _"Truth falls from the heavens like rain, gently carving many channels in the earth. Your truth may be different from my own, yet both are still true."_ -Alaric Hutchinson

* * *

Chapter 7: Friend of My Enemy

Mew gestured Serena, Gordo and Alison to come to the living room. She then gestured them to sit down beside each other. Though hesitant, Serena sat down first. However, neither Ketchum sat down. Mew floated beside Serena and gave the two a dirty look. Alice sighed and sat as far away as she could, but Gordo crossed his arms and stayed standing. Mew sighed, but felt that it was a start.

Gordo had a blue shirt short sleeved shirt with a 'z' on it with black pants. However, it looked like the shirt could barely fit him and was on the verge of ripping because of how muscular he was. His spiky graying mahogany hair, stern yellow eyes and sharp look made him intimidating. He looked like someone Serena would see in military.

In contrast, Alice was wearing a long blue dress that went up to slightly above her ankles. Her graying black hair also went up to her ankles. She was wearing a pearl necklace and matching pearl earrings. Alice seemed much sweeter in comparison and her outfit gave Serena the impression of someone from an older age in history… from about two hundred years ago. Her brown eyes seemed very wise, but untrusting. Serena felt like she was dealing with a stern muscular drilling captain and a cold and distant old relic.

Mew said, **"I'm not sure how to do this… it's a little unprecedented that a partially psychic girl wants to be with a male Ketchum. It's even more crazy that this girl is the last hybrid, too. I can't force you two to like her, but I can try to open your eyes to how she is."**

"Mew… I may worship you as my deity, but I don't think anything you do would make me like this girl." Gordon said matter of factly. "The only reason why I'm not trying to strangle her is because my daughter has taken a shine to her."

Serena felt a shiver as she felt the power behind his words. Gordo looked like an intimidating grandfather, especially with his muscles pulsing for every word. She was glad he loved Aurora enough to not to do anything to her, but wondered how long that tolerance would last.

"Can you call me 'Serena' please? It would be nice not to be called 'this girl'." Serena requested.

"I can call you whatever I please, runt. Earn my respect first." Gordo growled.

"…" Serena bit her lip and merely glared at the elderly man. Gordo glared back, but noticed something in her eyes that alarmed him. Her blue eyes looked just as cold as one of his most hated enemies. The resemblance was almost uncanny. Gordo got a shiver thinking about it, but kept a tough exterior.

"Good. Know your place." Gordo snorted.

 **"** **Gordon Armstrong Ketchum, cease that at once!"** Mew thundered. Gordon gasped at her. Serena widened her eyes at Mew's intensity.

"Mew?" Gordo was just as surprised as Serena.

 **"** **Do not dare talk down on someone, especially if they are your equal. She's just as much as a human as you are. Got that?"** Mew hissed.

"… Yes, my lady." Gordo reluctantly relented. His yellow eyes were glowing slightly in annoyance.

 **"** **Good. It's demeaning for you to tell someone to know your place... especially if that someone hasn't done anything to provoke you other than ask a decent question. I think it's fair for Serena to ask to be properly regarded."** Mew said. Serena was surprised, but grateful to see Mew defending her.

"… She has to earn my respect first." Gordo growled.

 **"** **That is also fair."** Mew noted.

"What can I do to earn you respect, sir? You haven't exactly been giving me a chance… you've only been staring me down and threatening me." Serena said, while looking away from the elderly Ketchum nervously. She didn't know how to regard him without him seeming angry at her.

"Hmm…" Gordon looked at Serena pensively. Gordo wasn't sure himself.

"Please… I… I… want to be Ash's special one someday." Serena surprised herself when she said that, but she kept going. Gordon had an eyebrow raised. Serena continued, "I don't want us to have bad blood. I'm not sure what caused you to hate psychics so much, but… I want to see what I can do to change that. I don't want to be here to avoid you and Mrs. Alice. I want to get to know the rest of Ash's family like I've gotten to know Mrs. Ketchum."

"Special one, huh? Those words… are something Aurora would say. I wonder…" Alice closed her eyes and crossed her arms. She seemed to be heavily in thought. Alice said suddenly, "Gordo… battle her."

"What?" Serena and Gordo said in surprise.

Mew seemed slightly intrigued by the turn of events. She rested herself on Serena's head while looking at Alice now. Serena didn't know how to feel about Mew being this comfortable near her and didn't feel the same way. Still, Mew being on top of her head was the least of her worries.

"You know I have a keen eye for technique and mannerisms. I will observe the girl throughout the day and pass judgement on her. You trust my word, right?" Alice said. The way she said it made it impossible to argue with her. Gordo laughed at his wife's tone.

"Of course. You're the more level headed one of the two of us." Gordo admitted.

"Good." Alice opened her eyes sharply. She turned to Serena and narrowed her eyes as she said, "You."

"Y-yes?" Serena blinked her eyes slightly in confusion.

"Depending on what I observe, I may give you something. We'll see." Alice said. Serena didn't know what was in Alice's head, but she grew determined to prove her worth to the elderly woman. Alice never really interacted with her much before today, preferring to be away from Serena instead. This was the most Alice had spoken to Serena at once.

"Thank you for giving me a chance, Mrs. Alice!" Serena thanked. Alice's eyes grew colder.

"Don't misunderstand me. I don't trust you one bit. I'm just being more civil than my husband. There's some merit to Aurora's views, but I'm challenging them by testing your character and strength. Delilah, my other daughter, seemed so nice at first. Then, we found out the hard way just how evil she is. We'll see if you're really the sweet girl Aurora claims you to be." Alice frowned.

"…" Serena had a cold feeling in her heart hearing Alice regard her this way.

"Go to the front yard past the berry trees to the battlefield when you are ready. We'll be waiting. Come along, Gordo." Alice suddenly got up and left the house. Gordo looked back at Serena before following Alice out. Mew got off of Serena's hat and floated in front of her. The pixie looked a bit concerned.

 **"** **Serena… I have a warning about old school Ketchums. They don't exactly play fair."** Mew said.

"How so?" Serena asked.

 **"** **I wouldn't be surprised if Gordon decided to use aura augmentation against you despite knowing you are but a novice. He will try to crush your spirit to see how you deal with it. Aurora's parents were often too harsh training her, so I'm sure they will up the ante with you."** Mew continued.

"What should I do?" Serena seemed horrified hearing this.

 **"** **You can't do anything to stop it. However, I will help you… up to a point. For now, this is the one invitation Gordon and Alison are giving you, so I suggest you go along with it."** Mew advised.

"Ugh… I never thought I would be trusting you like this." Serena shook her head in disbelief. Considering Mew was the reason why Ash and Aurora went through a lot reuniting, she was less than thrilled to trust the legendary. The girl wondered if Mew had an ulterior motive.

 **"** **It's not like you have many options. I've seen how you've been treated while here and I feel some sympathy for you. You've got a lot of patience for a teenager."** Mew noted. She floated to the front door and turned to Serena. Mew said, **"This is your last chance to bow out of everything relating to Ash and aura guardians. Give me the word and I will teleport you back to your home."**

"I'm not going anywhere. If I have to go through some challenges Ash's grandparents thought of, then so be it. I love Ash and I wouldn't leave him because of me getting intimated by his family." Serena said with a determined expression. Mew could see the passion in her eyes. The tough treatment Ash's grandparents gave her seemed to have strengthened her resolve to get through to them.

Mew smiled and said, **"Very well. Step outside and let's begin."**

Serena nodded and followed Mew outside. The duo went past Aurora's garden of berry trees. Mew took the liberty of picking a few of the Sitrus berries and had them levitating beside her. As Serena walked forward, she took note of how vibrant Aurora's house was to have all these berry trees in front of it. The path to the door was straight until the battlefield, but she could tell Aurora loved interacting with the Pokémon that came here for food occasionally. The thought eased her nerves a bit.

Alice and Gordo were speaking with each other, seemingly strategizing. They stopped talking when they saw Mew approach with a pile of Sitrus Berries levitating beside her. Both of their eyes turned cold when they noticed Serena coming as well. However, Gordo's eyes went from cold to eager. He had a grin on his face. It seemed almost sadistic. Alice was merely observing the honey blond's approach. Serena gulped inwardly.

Serena also saw a large blue muscular human like Pokémon right beside Gordo. Serena identified the Pokémon as a Machamp. The Machamp seemed to be looking at Serena with the same predatory and eager eyes as his partner. Alice stood there patiently until Serena was parallel from her and Gordo.

"This will be a one vs. one match and it will be decided on who faints first. After the battle, there are a few things I want to test you in your aptitude and adaptiveness first hand. I know Aurora, Raven and Mirabelle has been helping you in your technique recently and I would bring a much different perspective on the table." Alice explained.

Serena nodded. The honey blond girl could tell that Gordo would battle with the Machamp and knew the perfect Pokémon for this. She hoped a little that Gordo wasn't as powerful as his daughter when it came to battling, but she doubted it. After all, Gordo taught Aurora much of what she knew. Serena couldn't bring herself to feel excited. The girl felt a sense of desperation to perform at her best.

Gordo stood at one corner of the field and the Machamp stood in front of him. Alice stood in the middle, acting as a referee. Serena quickly scurried over to her side with a Poke Ball in her hand. Mew gently floated right behind Serena, watching Gordo's every move. The legendary seemed prepared to act at a moment's notice. Mew also placed the Sitrus Berries beside her.

Serena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, she opened her eyes and said, "Come on out, Delphox!"

When Serena threw the ball up high, the ball opened and released a red fox-like creature with a stick in hand. The fire was burning brightly and Delphox looked at Machamp with sharp eyes. Machamp looked at his challenger, somewhat curious, but eager.

Gordo's body became surrounded in red aura. His muscles seemed to be pulsing. Then, he did something that surprised Serena. He roared, ripped off his shirt and revealed that despite his advanced age, his body was ripped. It was comparable to Machamp's body. His graying mahogany hair seemed to be even spikier. Serena immediately became more intimidated and knew he wasn't messing around. Machamp started to glow in the same red aura as his partner. Machamp's skin turned from blue to orange and seemed to be steaming.

"I won't hold back, girl, and neither should you. I may not be as powerful as Aurora in battle, but I'm certainly stronger than Ash. How will you deal with a master guardian's aura augmentation? I can't wait to see your Pokémon beaten to a pulp." Gordo growled in a rough tone. His muscles seemed to move for every word.

 _"_ _Stay calm, Serena. He wants you to be afraid. Do not give that to him…"_ Serena thought to keep herself composed. Considering Ash was able to beat her while they were in Lumiose City, she was afraid at her chances. Still, Serena wasn't deterred. She knew she had to try not only for her sake, but for his. Serena replied, "I wouldn't want you to hold back on my account. Delphox and I can take anything you do and more!"

Gordo raised an eyebrow at the response and chuckled coarsely. Gordo said with a grin, "Bold words from a runt. This is going to be fun. Champ, let's start with Thunder Punch!"

"Delphox, dodge it!" Serena commanded.

Champ punched his bottom two fists together and charged them up in electrical energy. Delphox immediately used her speed to dodge the attack. Gordo's eyes turned a little impish as he brought out his glowing red hand. Champ seemed to get quicker for every new step he took. Delphox gasped to see the hulking Pokémon right behind her suddenly. She yelped as she was struck in the torso by Champ's electrified fist.

Serena became slightly deterred after seeing that. She knew that Delphox's main advantage she had over Champ was her speed. If Gordo could raise Champ's speed at will, what chance did she have? Serena noticed Mew was observing the entire thing passively. The girl wondered what was going through the psychic type's head.

"Dynamic Punch!" Gordo said.

Champ now made his fists turn white as he began to punch the air in quick succession. Then, he approached Delphox with his fists. Serena refused to allow Champ to come any closer. Serena brought out her hand as she said, "Delphox, cut off Machamp's path with Psychic!"

Delphox's eyes began to glow blue as she surrounded the fighting type in the same color outline. Champ gasped as he lost all feeling in his body. The fox-like Pokémon took out her stick from in her arm and began to motion Champ the same way as her stick. She kept moving him up and down on the ground. Champ grunted slightly in pain each time he hit the ground.

Gordo watched the entire scene passively. Serena was a little unnerved at how calm the old man was. She was sure he was going to intervene with his aura again. Once Delphox was done with her assault, Champ stood back up like it was nothing. He quickly dusted himself off like he had been dirtied by something minor. Delphox sweatdropped at the sight. To see her efforts shrugged off so easily was alarming.

"You finally done?" Gordo said with a slight yawn. When he heard no response from Serena, he grinned while saying, "My turn. Champ, use Dynamic Punch again."

"Stop him with Psychic!" Serena said in retaliation.

"The same strategy won't work on me a second time, especially since there's such a difference in strength between us." Gordo said. Gordo once again surrounded himself and Champ in dark red aura. The old man had his arms crossed in slight amusement.

Champ once again began to build up energy in his fists. His fists turned white as he charged himself at Delphox. Delphox's eyes turned blue as she stopped his momentum. However, after a few moments, the red aura around Champ began to get stronger and his skin seem to turn even more orange. Champ began to walk through Psychic. Serena and Delphox looked at the fighting type in shock.

The muscular Pokémon was still being affected by the psychic type attack, but he was moving against Delphox's will. Each step he took was slow, but forceful. Delphox decided to exert even more of her will on the Machamp. Her ear hair began to move on its own and she bared her fangs out slightly. Her eyes glowed a deeper blue. For a moment, the extra effort worked. Champ stopped in his tracks. However, Champ's body started to steam up and he broke free from Delphox's control.

Delphox gasped in surprise and backed up slightly. Champ smirked as he approached the fire fox and punched her in her gut with his attack. Delphox screamed in pain and soon developed a befuddled expression. Dynamic Punch's secondary effect kicked in. She looked around herself, dazed and confused.

"No matter what you do to us, we will tank and brave through it. Then, we will always hit you no matter what. Champ's ability is No Guard and in combination with defensive aura augmentation, we will always be able to counterattack. Augmentation doesn't always have to be offensive and I hope I'll keep bringing it to life for you." Gordo explained with a cheeky smile.

Serena sucked her teeth and tried to think about her options. Serena observed Gordo's more tanky battle style and was impressed with it. She knew Ash and Aurora liked to focus on being quick and aggressive, so to see another approach was slightly refreshing. Still, with this news, Serena had no idea how she was going to break though Gordo and his Machamp's defenses. Mew noticed the indecision in Serena's eyes. She deliberated with herself for a brief moment. Then, she nodded to herself.

Mew's blue eyes began to glow faintly. Delphox suddenly felt a lot stronger. She no longer had stars in her eyes, but instead looked at Champ with a sharp daze. Delphox became surrounded in a powerful blue aura as she got into a battle stance. Serena gasped at the sight in surprise. At first, she thought she was the one doing that to Delphox, but one look at Mew showed her this wasn't the case. Mew gestured Serena to give out a command. Serena nodded.

"Delphox, use Psychic! Break through Champ's defense!" Serena brought out her hand.

Delphox's eyes began to glow blue again. Champ gasped as he lost control of his body again. Gordo tried to aid him by pouring more of his aura into Champ, but Mew's influence proved too much. Champ was helpless to Delphox's Psychic attack. Delphox slammed Champ's body on the ground multiple times before flinging him. Champ grunted in slight pain. He promptly got back up, not too phased, but visibly hurt.

Gordo scowled at the interaction. He knew Mew was the main reason why that attack did that much to Champ. Gordo knew he could beat Serena, but there was no way he could beat Mew. He began to wonder what the legendary psychic type's motive was.

"Mew… what are you doing?" Gordo asked, slightly surprised.

 **"** **Making things a bit more interesting…"** Mew said with a bit of a devious smirk. Serena was grateful for Mew's help, but was confused by the smile. Mew said to Gordo, **"Serena doesn't nearly have the same potential as Ketchums do. I felt my intrusion is necessary here. I will only aid in augmenting Delphox's power to the same extent you've augmented Champ's. To the same token, I will not augment Delphox if you don't augment Champ."**

"Understood. Will you intervene more past this point should I not use aura augmentation?" Gordo inquired. Mew seemed to think about this for a little bit. She shrugged after coming to an answer.

 **"** **Depends on what I see. I'll leave you to be the judge of how far you can push her."** Mew decided.

"Hahaha… noted." Gordo made a mischievous grin. He had permission to do what he wanted past this point. He couldn't wait to see what Serena could do in response. Serena noticed the look in his eyes and grew concerned.

Despite growing feelings of anxiety, Serena said, "Use Psyshock."

"Champ, block that with your arms and retaliate with Stone Edge!" Gordo said in response.

Twirling her fire stick around, Delphox summoned a blue orb of psychic energy. She progressively made it bigger and bigger while channeling her power. Champ braced himself for impact by holding out his hands. The psychic type launched the orb with all of her might. Champ grunted when it made direct impact. The collision moved him back slightly. Though a bit hurt, he didn't seem too deterred.

Champ then began to channel his energy himself. Several blue rock-like structures started to form around him like an atom. Delphox looked to Serena for some sort of command. Serena wanted Delphox to dodge, but wasn't sure if she would be able to dodge everything. She didn't know what to do. The girl resigned to herself, thinking that she wasn't a worthy battler. With a grunt, Champ hurled the rock like structures at Delphox. Seeing as though Serena was frozen in place, Delphox decided to take things into her own paws.

Using her psychic powers, Delphox took control of the rocks and hurled them back at the Machamp. The rocks barely scratched the Machamp. Champ seemingly expected this and grinned. The Pokémon punched his fists into the ground and pillars of rocks formed a path straight toward Delphox. As she didn't expect that, Delphox got hit by the super effective rock type move. She wailed in agony.

Mew watched the entire scene and shook her head. Her eyes faintly glowed blue. Once again, Delphox seemed to be get better after getting struck. She seemed almost completely healed up again. Serena looked at the pixie Pokémon in appreciation, but wondered what was going through her head.

Gordo was scowling. He knew that Champ would eventually get defeated if Mew kept healing Delphox up. Gordo knew that Mew was never charitable to strangers unless she wanted something from it. She was only ever charitable to Ketchums. Gordo knew from how she was looking at him that she wanted him to do something specific to Serena.

Gordo reached into his pant pocket and revealed a white peculiar bracelet with a brown crystal on top. He put it on his wrist. The crystal seemed to twinkle with a slight mischievousness just like its owner. When Gordo saw Mew hide a devious smirk, he knew that was exactly what she wanted him to do. Gordo looked slightly amused and shook his head. Although he tried to never question his deity's intentions, he had to wonder what would happen if he followed through with what she wanted.

Gordo snorted, "Didn't think I'd use this against someone like you, but I don't want Mew to help you any more than she has."

"What… is that thing?" Serena looked at the white bracelet in slight confusion. It clearly wasn't a Mega Bangle like the one Ash had, but it looked a bit simpler, if not more like a toy. She didn't know what to expect. Gordo smirked at the girl's confusion and decided to surprise her.

"Hahaha… this should be fun. Champ, let's turn your Stone Edge into a more powerful move!" Gordo touched the brown crystal at the middle of the bracelet and began to be immersed in a powerful yellow aura. Champ mirrored his trainer perfectly. They both had wide grins. Serena noticed that this aura was different than normal and wondered why. Alice looked at the battle with a disinterested expression and looked away. Serena looked a bit more discouraged seeing that. Gordo yelled, "Continental Crush!"

Champ slammed all his fists together and began to build up a lot of energy. He jumped high into the air. He channeled the move Stone Edge to be much greater than small rocks and smacked them all together until they were one large bolder. Serena and Delphox marveled at how large the rock was. It looked like it was the size of the battlefield. With a grunt, Champ threw the large bolder on the battlefield.

Serena couldn't see any place Delphox could dodge in the battlefield. Eventually, the bolder fell on the fire fox and exploded into multiple pieces. Serena had to cover her eyes at the collision. After the explosion was over, Serena opened her eyes and noticed Delphox with squiggly marks in her eyes. Serena sighed in disappointment. The battle was done.

"Looks like I won. As if that's a big surprise." Gordo said with a snort. The old man suddenly narrowed his eyes and said, "I'm not done yet, though."

Gordo suddenly surrounded himself in a dark yellow aura. His eyes turned harsh. He made Delphox float in his aura and began to bombard the fainted Pokémon with aura spheres. The old man held no mercy in his eyes. Serena looked terrified while Mew and Alice seemed disinterested. Serena was at a loss at what to do.

* * *

 **A/N: Oof... Ash's grandfather is a jerk and his grandmother is cold... well, at least to people they don't like. Unfortunately, a lot of people can be like this in real life (though obviously not as extreme as in this story). How will Serena deal with Gordo's brutality when the main two people who would stand up for her is gone? Will Mew care to help her at this point? Find out in the next chapter.**

 **Happy reading everyone!**

 **Next Chapter: Are You Weak?**

 **~SPG123~**


	9. Are You Weak?

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Welcome to the latest chapter of the book! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

 _There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. -Washington Irving_

* * *

Chapter 8: Are You Weak?

Serena was caught completely off guard by Gordo's behavior. When a battle was over, that was usually it. Trainers were supposed to return their Pokémon to rest up. From how Gordo had Delphox in his aura, he made it impossible to sever the aura grip link with a Poke Ball alone. Serena tried returning her first Pokémon, but the red light was reflected away from Delphox's outline. Serena looked like she didn't know what to do and decided to plead with the old man.

"What are you doing?!" Serena asked in distress.

"Whatever I please. This is the amount of respect I have for you," Gordo said dryly.

 _"_ _Hey… pea for brains. Don't you think you're being a bit too rough on her?"_ A voice suddenly echoed in Gordo's head.

 _"_ _Stay out of this, Jordon."_ Gordo hissed. The elderly man was surprised to hear his counterbalance considering how little he says things.

 _"_ _Eh, I don't come out often, so you don't have to worry about me abruptly taking control. Still, to be this brutal without being provoked? Thought you might have changed by now..."_ Jordon said in a disappointed voice. He seemed sad. Gordo grew irritated.

 _"_ _Shut up. This is more than me being brutal for the sake of it. Worthy to stay or not, I need to see if the girl can handle pressure. You know the method to my madness. Aurora grew strong like this."_ Gordo argued. To illustrate his point, he attacked Delphox even more. The Pokémon hissed in pain.

 _"_ _I understand trying to make something stronger, but you could be doing it a lot better than you are. Aurora grew up under our training and you knew what she could take. You've no idea of that girl's potential. You could kill the girl's Delphox if you keep this up…"_ Jordon told him. He felt bad for Serena and Delphox, but wasn't sure if he cared enough to stop Gordo physically. Jordon decided to only come out if things went too far. He hoped it wouldn't need to come to that, so he tried to get through to his balance.

 _"_ _And what if I did?"_ Gordo replied with a sharp tone. Jordon made the most toneless laugh Gordo ever heard in response. His voice got chillingly low.

 _"_ _You'd be a spiteful piece of garbage and I'd be even more ashamed to share this body with you. You'd also prove how right Charles was all those years ago when you killed his son. In some ways, I still see you as a villain, but I just don't care enough anymore to bother."_ Jordon said with a slightly indifferent sigh.

Gordo was beginning to feel angry at his counterbalance, but decided not to deny him. He only didn't deny him because his counterbalance didn't like him and their conversation would go around in circles.

 _"_ _Why are you bothering to convince me now then?"_ Gordo said, noting his counterbalance's hypocrisy.

 _"_ _If I see you doing something unjust, isn't it the counterbalance's job to be the voice of reason… like to balance out the bad?"_ Jordon asked sarcastically. He knew they both knew the answer to that.

 _"_ _Counterbalances also can complement balances, you know."_ Gordo pointed out.

 _"_ _Only if I agree with you and obviously, I don't agree with what you're doing. What, the girl is partially psychic? Boo hoo, she hurt your feelings over how she is? How pathetic."_ Jordon said in a mocking tone. Gordo grew even more irate.

 _"_ _I can't believe you're downplaying all that we've seen in our life. Charles and his cronies alone have caused us so much grief! How dare you! I don't know how you're like me!"_ Gordo was screaming at this point. Just like always, Jordon was indifferent to him. He even mockingly yawned. Gordo could feel himself seething in annoyance. Even if Jordon was right, Charles took things way further than he ever did by separating his grandson from him and nearly killing his daughter. He felt as though he's justified at this point.

 _"_ _I can be just as petty as you. I'm only attempting to say something because last time I didn't say how I felt, I almost lived with the regret of not having said something until it was too late. I don't want to go through that feeling. We're very similar, Gordon, and you know it. You're just being a baby about it."_ Jordon said matter-of-factly. The last time Jordon didn't say how he felt to Aurora about he agreed that Gordo should be more open to psychics, he almost saw Aurora die trying to learn a technique. They both had been deeply affected by that, even if neither of them wanted to admit the extent.

 _"…"_ Gordo didn't respond to continued to focus on Serena and Delphox. Delphox looked like she barely had any fire left in her. Serena still wasn't making a stand for her Pokémon. Gordo found himself disappointed. The girl had to have some sort of fire in her. After all, she was with a boy that was passionate about anything he did. Ash wouldn't choose a weakling for a lifelong partner, would he? Jordon wasn't done trying to get Gordo to stop verbally. He decided to play his trump card: their family.

 _"_ _Anyway, if you did happen to go through this petty killing, you'd need to be prepared to get estranged from both our grandson and daughter. If Ash was willing to kill Delilah over Aurora being unconscious… I'm not sure how things would be once he got home and found out what you did. At the very least, be a bit gentler to the Delphox and girl if you want them to improve."_ Jordon warned and advised. Gordo got a shiver down his back thinking about it and hated that his counterbalance was right about something. He decided not to acknowledge it.

 _"_ _We're done discussing this. Unless you take over me right now, I'm going to continue what I started. I know what I'm doing and I'm not as scummy as you're implying. You know as well as I that this is a test for the girl."_ Gordo argued.

 _"_ _A test that may go too far."_ Jordon supplemented.

 _"_ _Either the girl is truly worthy to stay or she's going die not helping her partner. I'm using how Mew would teach someone something normally. You noticed Mew isn't helping the girl now, right? It's likely because she can handle this."_ Gordo continued. Jordon sighed, but didn't deny his balance. Now, it was his turn to be annoyed about his other side being right about something.

 _"_ _All I'm saying is to be careful taking your anger out on someone that doesn't deserve it. Be mindful of the consequences your actions might have…"_ Jordon said as his presence disappeared from Gordo's mind. The elderly man never liked when Jordon came out, but he had to admit his counterbalance had some merit in his argument. He decided to keep it in mind, but not visibly show it.

Serena sucked her teeth and narrowed her eyes at the old man. She knew that he didn't like her, but he didn't seem like the type of person to hurt an innocent Pokémon, especially after it had been weakened significantly. The girl that was a low blow, even for him. Serena grew even more worried when he intensified the power of his aura spheres at the fire type.

"Delphox!" Serena cried out in anguish. Her first Pokémon tried taking the hits the best way she could, but at this point, she resigned to not resist Gordo's assaulted. She was only sorry she couldn't do any more to protect herself and felt ashamed to be like this in front of Serena.

"Can't you even stop me?" Gordo snorted.

"Mew, please help!" Serena begged to the psychic type legendary. Mew looked at her expressionlessly. She shook her head.

 **"…** **I don't help when there's a point to be had."** Mew said. Serena looked enraged.

"A point?! Delphox is getting hurt and you only care about this stupid 'point'?!" Serena hissed. Mew sighed, closed her eyes, and resigned to put herself in a non-transparent pink bubble. It was clear she didn't want to speak any longer. Serena sucked her teeth in response.

"Relying on help is sad. You are such a weakling." Gordo said while shaking his head. He continued to pelt the fire and psychic type with aura spheres. Delphox wailed in pain.

"Stop it! Please… Delphox can't take anymore!" Serena begged. She started to cry. She hated not being able to do anything. Gordo's eyes turned colder.

"What can someone like you do about it? Aurora nor Raven is here to defend you. Mew won't help you anymore, seeing as she feels like she's helped enough. You're on your own and if this is how you act… you don't fit for the family. You might as well go." Gordo closed her eyes and turned away from her. He decided to finish things. He knocked Delphox on the ground. Forming a bone club in his hands, he leaped into the air, seeking to finish the fire typed fox.

Serena looked up at the old man, disgusted, sad and ashamed at herself. Her expression was one of shock, then turned to one of a lack of emotion. Alice looked at the girl and noticed this. She suddenly seemed much more afraid for her husband. Serena's blue eyes changed from bright to harsh. One of her eyes were twitching.

In the moment Gordon showed his intention to kill Delphox, Serena remembered one of her interactions with Aurora's friends in trying to teach her something.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _Serena stared into a few hundred Poke that was lying on the ground. She grew determined as she started to make her hand glow their natural color, a hot pink. In the background, there were two people watching her intently. One was a short wavy raven-haired lady with grey eyes. She wore a torn and worn-down diamond patterned poncho with somewhat neat jeans. The other was a lilac-haired lady with brown eyes. She wore a much dressier outfit, sporting a lavender pin-stripe suit with matching shoes._

 _While Ash was with his mother and grandmother learning how to make and recognize certain foods, the two women decided they could use the battlefield in the front yard, at least until Aurora was done teaching her son inside._

 _The two ladies had been coming into the Tree of Beginning to help Serena for about a week after Ash moved in. Every day, they helped Serena with her endurance with small exercises heeding to Raven's observation of her during Ash's and Aurora's comas. Serena felt like she could use her aura for longer and it was all thanks to them._

 _Today was finally the day the two ladies thought she was ready to try a technique that eluding her: the psychic grip._

 _The psychic grip enabled the user to lift up any object they desired, but they must be emotionless while doing so. It was weaker in potency compared to the aura grip, which used a user's emotions to lift up living things only. Serena was able to do the hybrid grip, an odd mix of the aura and psychic grips, but she felt incredibly tired every time she did it. The two women decided to help her learn the other techniques, so her energy wouldn't be exhausted._

 _"_ _Think she'll finally be able to do it, Mirabelle?" The raven-haired lady whispered to the lilac-haired lady._

 _"_ _We'll see what happens, Raven. I don't like to ruin surprises." Mirabelle winked._

 _Raven sighed, then pouted. She knew that Mirabelle could see into the future because of being a psychic, but sometimes, she wished Mirabelle would get to the point. Still, Raven acknowledged several possibilities that could happen. The dusk guardian also knew that Mirabelle usually tried to shift the future to be a favorable one for everyone, so she could accept her answer._

 _Raven decided to sit down in the middle of the battlefield, where the referee would normally stand. Mirabelle was standing across from Serena, watching her technique. Serena brought her hand out and it began to glow pink. The money on the ground began to glow the same color. Raven curled her fingers against her mouth in anticipation and excitement. Mirabelle narrowed her eyes slightly and watched Serena intently._

 _Serena looked into the money with harsh blue eyes. She was intent on doing this to prove to herself that she can use her powers well. Mirabelle had a twinkle in her eye seeing the amount of focus in Serena's expression, but noted something was missing. The money began to glow pink, but it did not budge. For several moments of trying this, Serena severed her link with the cash and it stopped glowing pink. Raven looked sad at seeing Serena discouraged while Mirabelle didn't look too surprised._

 _Serena sat pretzel legged next to the money and looked at it wistfully. She sighed in disappointment and had her head down. Mirabelle decided to sit right beside her and forced her to keep her head up. Raven got up from her spot and sat in front of them. The trio formed a triangle around the Poké Dollars._

 _"_ _Mirabelle, is there something I did wrong? I thought I listened to you exactly. I really felt like I was improving." Serena said._

 _"_ _You have been improving tremendously. You have been listening to me… and I think that's the problem." Mirabelle admitted._

 _"_ _Huh?" Serena blinked her eyes in surprise._

 _"_ _Raven and I were really young when the rest of the hybrids perished in the Hybrid Purge. As such, a lot of what was known about hybrids were lost. No one has attempted to teach a hybrid something in thirty years. I feel like we may be approaching this the wrong way." Mirabelle admitted._

 _"_ _What should we do then?" Serena asked._

 _"_ _I'd say those exercises have been helping you, so we can keep doing those. I still want to try to help you master the aura and psychic grips, even though you know the hybrid grip. I do remember hybrids having a hard time learning each technique separately, but the most powerful ones were the ones that could do all three." Raven said._

 _"_ _In the meanwhile, maybe the technique will stick when you're put into a situation both deep to your heart and harsh to you, too. You know… a combination of guardians and psychics in how they approach techniques. You need to recognize both feelings distinctly to change between both techniques at will." Mirabelle noted._

 _"_ _I already witnessed Ash holding back killing his aunt, Delia. He… wasn't like himself after his mother was knocked unconscious." Serena said while looking down. She could never forget the face he made to her when she stopped him. Though she was thankful she got him back to his senses, she was afraid of what he could do while angry._

 _"_ _But that wasn't close to you specifically. That was closer to Ash." Raven said._

 _"_ _Ash is close to me, though," Serena argued. Raven shook her head and made a solemn smile. Raven looked at the teen as if she didn't understand what she was trying to tell her, so she gave up for the moment._

 _"_ _I think you'll get it once something horrifying like that happens to you. Ash literally saw his fake mother nearly kill his real mother a second time after that same fake mother tried to kill him in a strong blast. I think Ash acting differently there was justified. Usually, those in tune with their emotions will perform better under duress. I'm not sure if that will happen to you, though." Raven told her._

 _"_ _Trust me, it will. I can't say when it will happen, though, since that will alter what will come to pass." Mirabelle disclosed uncomfortably._

 _"_ _I… don't want to go something horrible, though. Can you tell me what it is?" Serena said with fearful eyes._

 _"…"_ _Mirabelle made a slightly distressed grunt, but looked away. She looked like she wanted to warn her, but held back. Though slightly annoyed, Serena decided to leave it alone. She knew once Mirabelle looked into the future, she would become cryptic. The girl wondered how much burden Mirabelle was carrying since her future seeing ability was better than most psychics._

 _"_ _It's okay. I guess… I'll be alright afterward. Can you at least tell me that?" Serena pleaded. Mirabelle continued looking away from her eyes, knowing she might cave in otherwise. She shook her head._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Serena. I'm not going to take a risk. Things will happen for a reason, but this catalyst will jumpstart your progress much more quickly than now. I can at least say that much. Let's… continue, okay?" Mirabelle said in a small voice._

 _Serena didn't feel like continuing, but sighed and decided to anyway. From then on, Mirabelle's prediction was on the back of her mind._

* * *

Serena felt a lack of emotion regarding Gordo, but so much sadness for not being a better trainer to Delphox. Serena jumped in front of Delphox and met Gordo head to head. She grabbed his bone club before he could knock Delphox out with it. The old man was surprised to see the psychic guardian so brazen all of a sudden and liked the change. Delphox looked up weakly, happy seeing Serena defending her like this.

"Oh?" Alice noted Serena's narrowed eyes and began to think to herself. She wondered, _"Her eyes… I could see the cold cruelness of it. And yet… there's a lot of passion for her Pokémon. Why do they keep shifting between those emotions so quickly?"_

"Finally! A spark! Bring it on, runt!" Gordon said with a grin. Mew made no change from her bubble and remained suspended in the air.

"Grr…" Serena growled and pushed him back in response. Gordo slid on the ground slightly. The old Ketchum smirked at the strength Serena displayed. He knew she wasn't nearly as in tune with her powers as Ash was, so to see this was intriguing for him. Still, he also noticed the ever-changing emotions in her eyes and grew slightly startled by it, just like his wife. He shook his head at his thoughts.

Gordo noticed that she was only standing in front of Delphox protectively, but she wasn't making any sort of aggressive approach. His stance changed from just standing there in awe to preparing to rush them both down. Seeing this change from Gordo, Serena held her ground and glared at the man.

With a speed that Serena didn't expect, Gordo dashed to her to hit her directly with his aura-made attack. Serena reacted almost instinctually. She held him up in the air without touching him. She had her hands out as she concentrated her power into Gordo. Gordo was suspended in a pink outline in the air. Delphox had her mouth open in awe. Alice and Gordo widened their eyes in surprise.

"Gah! The psychic grip? Since when…?" Gordo said, caught off guard.

"I will not let you harm another hair on Delphox!" Serena bellowed.

While she had Gordo suspended in the air, she created a large pink war hammer of destruction and whacked him from the air. Alice widened her eyes at seeing the aura emulation. Upon sensing the hammer, Mew popped her self-made bubble and looked at the teen with sparkles in her eyes. She looked like she was excited for Serena, despite showing apathy a few minutes earlier.

"Hggh…" Gordo grunted at the hit, but prompted stood back up. This girl was full of surprises… and he hated that he liked that.

"I don't care that you are my boyfriend's grandfather. I don't care what you say to me. It doesn't matter what you think of me… as long as I know what I'm doing is worth it to Ash and myself. I won't let you just do anything to me or Delphox. If you're going to be this brutal to her, you'll have to go through me. I don't care how badly you want to hurt me. I'll defend myself the best way I can." Serena said while still protecting her first Pokémon from the wayward Ketchum.

Gordo looked at the teen with analyzing eyes. Serena narrowed her eyes and gripped her weapon tighter. She was ready to react to his advance again. Then, Gordo closed his eyes in thought. When he opened his yellow eyes, they looked intense. He narrowed them.

"Then make your words have weight and prove yourself as the trainer Delphox can count on. Prove that you don't need help to earn your keep." Gordo said with a serious expression. He pointed his aura made bone club at the girl with a grin. Serena sucked her teeth, but still did not move from her spot.

Gordo decided not to approach Serena this time. From his free palm, he shot several aura spheres at the girl. Serena at first panicked, but then tapped into her earlier disconnected feeling. Her free hand began to glow as she deflected each aura sphere away using the psychic grip.

Upon seeing that display, Gordo decided to fight her up close. Serena whimpered slightly at the sudden burst of speed and once again suppressed him with her psychic grip. However, Gordo decided to resist her this time by exposing himself to dark aura. As such, he was able to move about freely despite her hold. Serena braced herself and parried his hits the best she could.

Upon seeing the girl have some sort of spark in her, he decided to heed his counterbalance's advice. Inside him, he could feel genuine relief from Jordon, which surprised him. The counterbalance cared more than he let on. Gordo chuckled to himself and decided to continue gauging Serena at her pace.

Alice could tell in Gordo's movements that he meant Serena no real harm, which surprised her. She noticed a more curious outlook than a hateful one from him in his strikes. The greying haired woman knew that some of what Aurora said earlier was in his mind when engaging Serena because she knew how Gordo could be when seriously suppressing someone. Alice found herself curious about the girl as well.

Gordo went slow with each of his swings, gauging at her current skill and noticed that she knew nothing about one versus one fighting. He knew it was to be expected as Serena never showed any signs of having combat experience. Gordo decided to watch for any more changes in her fighting stance and temperament.

Serena, meanwhile, had no idea what was going through Gordo's mind, but she knew she would never let Delphox get hurt like that again. For all she knew, he was trying his best to hurt them both because of her psychic guardian heritage. Despite that, she grew determined to keep fighting to prove something to herself. She wanted to hold her own against any adversity.

Alice saw the two battle it out for a few more moments. Serena looked terrified and seemed to be fighting not only for herself, but for her Pokémon. Alice decided she had seen enough. When Serena went for another swing toward Gordo's head, Alice swiftly moved in front of her husband. Serena widened her eyes and immediately stopped her swing. Gordo found himself surprised. He usually didn't see Alice stepping in anything deliberately.

 **"** Enough!" Alice bellowed. She stood in front of Gordo in a protective stance. Serena's weapon was centimeters away from hitting both Alice and Gordo.

"Alice?" Gordo grew slightly concerned at the dire, but stern tone of his wife's voice. She seemed slightly scared, but no one else picked up on it except for him. She hid her fear well through her tone, but Gordo had been married to her long enough to know something was off.

"Please stand aside, Mrs. Alice," Serena growled. Alice forced herself to look into Serena's cold blue eyes. The elderly woman's hands began to glow a light blue.

"If you dare land another hit on my husband, I will personally intervene and knock you out of the Tree myself, regardless of how Ash and Aurora feel," Alice said with narrowed eyes. Serena noticed her hair beginning to rise up on its own. She could feel dormant anger in her stern tone.

When Alice mentioned Ash and Aurora, Serena remembered that she didn't want to ruin any sort of impression she had made to them. The psychic guardian may have thought that they hate her more than before, she decided to salvage whatever civil interaction they could have. Serena made her weapon disappear and made a relenting gesture.

Alice noticed how easily the girl submitted and nodded to herself. Alice then said, "That being said, I think we're done with Gordo's portion. Honey, what do you think?"

"Yeah, I'd say she's ready for your part," Gordo said easily.

"What?" Serena blinked her eyes in surprise.

"I'm not surprised that you would say this after what she just did." Alice sighed.

"It's pretty obvious to me that she can handle your portion. Whether she can handle it without being provoked is another story." Gordo said with a humorless chuckle.

"I… can keep going?" Serena said in slight disbelief.

"Yeah. You know, I thought of you as a wimp that has no reason being here. I still think of you as a wimp, but you've shown me you've got more fire than you're letting on! Hahahaha! I love it when I get surprised like that!" Gordo said, somewhat excited. Gordo coarsely chuckled, "You've earned more of my respect, kid. Ash needs a strong-willed woman… whether you're the one is left to be determined."

"Yes… it definitely is left to be determined. Your eyes…" Alice started, but then shook her head and stopped herself. Serena was confused. She said, "Ah, never mind. Well, it seems you passed Gordo's portion. Time to do mine. Mine will… not be as straightforward as my husband's. Go to the base of the crystal caves when you are ready."

Alice started to walk away from Serena while having both of her hands behind her back in thought. Gordo looked back at Serena before following his wife.

Gordo whispered, "You alright, dear?"

"I should be asking you that," Alice said in response. Gordo looked slightly unamused at the retort and decided to be a bit more direct with what concerned both of them.

"You saw her eyes, too, right?" Gordo said.

"Yes. It's like her eyes shift between feeling like we're dealing with a guardian to feeling like we're dealing with a psychic. It's unnerving." Alice confirmed both of their thoughts.

"I agree. What shall we do about it? She didn't do anything unreasonable against me for us to use to kick her out." Gordo noted. Alice thought for a moment before responding.

"Ash… has found quite an interesting girl. Her eyes gave me an unnerved feeling. I felt waves of terror and that's something I haven't felt since encountering the Zurui. I have a bad feeling about her. I'm not going to take any risks… so I want you to…" Alice began to whisper her idea to her husband.

The greying haired Ketchum listened intently. He closed his eyes in thought and opened them in slight concern. He wasn't sure what to think about this, but nevertheless did what she wanted. Giving her a small peck on the cheek, he flew off to do Alice's request.

* * *

 **A/N: I wonder what Alice had Gordo to do... she can be quite shrewd at times. Seems like Serena isn't out of the woods, yet. What will Alice have her do? Will either of Ash's grandparents grow to like her? We'll see eventually.**

 **It's interesting writing a counterbalance that outright despises their other self instead of** **only** **being mad at their other self like with Aru and Ashton in the last book. Gordo is used to it at this point, too. I hope to delve into Gordo's and Charles pasts gradually and how it is affecting Ash in the current day.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. We'll get to see how Gordo's method of teaching affected Serena next chapter. See you guys in a couple of weeks!**

 **Next Chapter: Nature at its Core**

 **~SPG123~**


	10. Nature at its Core

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! A bit of a long chapter, huh? We get to see the consequences of Gordo's toughness on Serena in this chapter. I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Also, to the most recent guest review: I appreciated the review and wish you had used a signed account so I could PM you. Why would I hate you for constructiveness, by the way? I love different and reasonable perspectives. I will say right now that the Ketchum grandparents aren't pushing Serena around. They simply don't like her, but Serena doesn't want to leave Ash, so it's causing a conflict. I liked your direction with Serena's character, but that won't be the _exact_ direction I go for. I hope you will like my spin into Serena's reasoning on persevering through unfairness. If you can contact me through a signed account via PM, I'd love discussing this further. Thank you for liking the story thus far!**

 **Onward to the chapter!**

* * *

 _Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us. -Wilma Rudolph_

* * *

Chapter 9: Nature at its Core

When the elderly couple left the battlefield, Serena went up to Delphox and fell on her knees. She quietly wept in front of her first Pokémon's lap. Delphox summoned enough strength to sit up and caress her trainer's hair. Serena, surprised at the contact, froze momentarily. Delphox wanted to say something reassuring, but knew that Serena didn't understand Pokémon language. She also surprised them both by being able to sit up despite all that damage she took.

"Delphox… I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything to help you until it was too late." Serena said. She was trying to wipe away her tears.

 **"** **(Serena…)** Serena could tell that Delphox said her name solemnly.

"I'm your trainer. I'm supposed to be able to protect you. I… I can't call myself your trainer if I let something like today happen to you." Serena said while looking away. Delphox quickly grew annoyed. She took out her fire stick and ignited it. Despite her injures, it burned brightly. Though she winced slightly trying to make the flame stronger, the flame seemed brighter than before the battle.

 **"** **(Stop saying those silly things, Serena! You'll always be my trainer no matter what happens!)"** Delphox yelled.

"Delphox…" Serena may not have understood Delphox, but she knew her Pokémon was trying to cheer her up.

 **"** **(I really appreciate that you stuck up for me, even though that old creep was stronger than us. You did what you could.)"** Delphox continued, hoping Serena would get what she was saying. Suddenly, Delphox began to glow pink. Then, she spoke with a slight echo in her voice, **"… So don't say that, alright? You're an amazing person!"**

"You can talk?" Serena blinked her eyes in shock. Delphox seemed slightly startled herself.

 **"** **I can talk?"** Delphox seemed startled that Serena could understand her and the fact that her voice was echoing.

 **"** **She can't talk… not normally, but as a psychic type mythical Pokémon, I can enable her to speak telepathy temporarily."** A third voice entered herself into the conversation.

Mew temporarily had made herself invisible upon Gordo and Alice leaving. She chose to stay around Serena to continue observing her and to not make their interaction awkward. Still, she found her curiosity hard to resist for too long. She figured Serena wouldn't be able to understand Delphox's words and accommodated for that.

"Why are you still near me? You did nothing to help Delphox even though you could!" Serena screeched.

 **"** **Serena… let me tell you something about how I teach. I am nature incarnate and nature will often be harsh and cruel to you. It will force you to adapt to whatever is thrown at you, but never out of malice. Nature forces the strong to come out and survive. You were never going to make progress as you were before the battle because you hadn't been through much. This is only the beginning of your trial through life."** Mew began.

"…" Serena didn't know how to respond to that.

 **"** **I won't spare you or any other person… even my Ketchums… from this hard fact. You humans are my children and if you can't learn on your own, you have no reason to keep living. Fortunately, you proved that you can adapt to tough situations. That's what I want to see in a potential mate. I helped you at first because I wanted to see how you would take it. Upon seeing you freeze up, I decided to follow the philosophy I said before. And it worked."**

Serena gasped and looked away from Mew. She was glad to see Mew showing more interest in her, but didn't know how to feel about her notion. Serena retorted, "Accepting help isn't a bad thing. Isn't it common in nature to have your elders teach you while you're young?"

 **"** **That's exactly what you're going through now. Eventually, those elders won't be there, so you have to be ready in the event that happens. My ways seem harsh to humans and I'll admit, I may take things a bit too far sometimes. However, my ways are effective. Ash learned so much in the short time I had him in a coma because he was forced to adapt to the situations I put him in by himself. His potential keeps rising higher and higher."** Mew responded. She floated to be in directly in front of Serena's face. **"I've haven't rejected you because of the potential I see within you as well."**

"You… see potential in me?" Serena blinked her eyes in surprise. Mew nodded.

 **"** **Of course. I wouldn't have aided you otherwise. Gordon and Alison may have designs to test you to their own satisfaction, but I also have my own design in this. Everything I do while Ash is gone will be to help you grow stronger, even if it may not seem that way at first."** Mew said with a small smile.

"Hmm…" Serena looked down in thought. Mew took notice of the pensiveness of the girl and shrugged.

 **"** **Take what I say to your own interpretation,"** Mew told her.

"…Why do you want to help me?" Serena asked in a small voice. Mew chuckled slightly.

 **"** **I want to see where your path goes in relation to my youngest Ketchum. Ash has a habit of finding good humans in his journey to travel with. I see him light up near you… and I feel that's a good sign to try to understand you more, especially since he has chosen you as a romantic partner."** Mew responded.

"I… don't know how to feel about your method, Mew. I do know that I don't like it." Serena said candidly. Mew nodded in acceptance.

 **"** **That's natural, dear. I'm not going to convince you to like my ways. Humans never like to be harshly treated, as all living things are like this. I'd be wondering what's wrong with you otherwise."** Mew finished with a chuckle. She suddenly moved Serena away from Delphox and forced both of them to stand up. Mew said with glowing pink eyes, **"Now… Delphox. I will heal you. Stay still."**

Mew brought out her paws and they began to glow in a mystical blue energy. Delphox began to glow the same color and she began to feel refreshed. Serena watched the legendary Pokémon in awe while also thinking about what Mew told her earlier. If she was hard-set on following the life is harsh philosophy, she wouldn't have healed Delphox. In fact, Serena was convinced Mew would have forced Serena to figure out which herbs would be needed or force the girl to use her powers herself. Serena found herself bewildered by the mythical Pokémon, but thankful she was kind enough to do this for Delphox.

Serena wondered if Mew was beginning to warm up to her outside of her curiosity and willingness to help Ash out.

 **"** **Many thanks for helping me during the battle and right now, Mew. I'm sure I would have lost a lot quicker if you hadn't helped."** Delphox said with gratitude.

 **"** **No problem. I noticed how unfair Gordon was being, so I gestured him to use resources other than aura to battle so he could push Serena harder. I do have to apologize for that, though. You took a massive beating for Serena to unlock some potential from within her. I hope you won't be too mad at me for that."** Mew said while rubbing behind her head a little. She did feel a little guilty about that.

 **"** **If… your intention was to help Serena, then I guess I can forgive you. Just... let me know beforehand if you do plan something like this again."** Delphox pleaded. Mew nodded and promised the fox she would let her know next time. The fire type turned to her trainer. **"Serena… are you feeling better?"**

"Not really. However…" Serena said immediately and shook her head. She closed her eyes as she said, "I do think that I should be your trainer still. I'm sorry for those foolish things I said after the battle. I need to grow stronger with you so things like today won't happen again. Today was a huge rude awakening. I'm just going to use what I learned for the future."

 **"** **Serena…"** Delphox said sadly.

"It's alright, Delphox. I'll… have to defend us better next time." Serena said with narrowed eyes while curling her fists.

 **"** **If you need some time to recuperate before you begin Ms. Alice's portion of the trial, say it. Don't bottle in your emotions. It'll only hurt you in the long term."** Delphox warned.

".." Serena merely looked away from Delphox, unsure of how to respond. Upon seeing Serena's indecision to respond, Mew decided to intervene.

 **"** **That's a good idea, actually. Go inside the house to collect your thoughts. Based on what I've observed in the past hour and what I've seen in the future, I feel as though I need to get someone for you."** Mew said to her.

"Someone?' Serena blinked her eyes in surprise.

 **"** **You'll understand soon enough. Don't push yourself, dear. I'll see you in a bit**." Mew then teleported away from the two of them. Serena and Delphox were now left alone. Delphox made a comforting smile to her trainer.

 **"** **(It's your choice, in the end of the day, Serena. I'll follow whatever you do.)"** Delphox said with a confident tone. Although Serena couldn't understand her with Mew gone, Serena knew she said something comforting.

"I'm not sure what's in Mew's head, but so far she has been trying to help us, so I think we should wait for her. I doubt she'll drop a boulder on the house." Serena morbidly laughed. She started to walk back inside Aurora's house to wait for Mew. Delphox sighed sadly, but decided to follow her trainer inside the house.

* * *

Serena sat in the living room and began to think to herself. Delphox was right by her, but she was more concerned about Serena than what happened to her. She never imagined the bright girl to be brooding this much for her. On one hand, she was touched that Serena cared so much about her and was grateful that she had such a caring trainer. On the other hand, she was upset that Serena was brooding in the first place. Serena was always one to look at things positively, even when kicked down.

Serena was thinking about how powerless she was to stop Gordo and was afraid of what could happen against someone even more brutal. She never wanted to witness her Pokémon beaten like that again and would do anything to stop it. Her left hand began to glow pink as she stared into it.

Serena curled that fist and resolved to never become powerless again. She suddenly gained a determined expression. Delphox looked over to Serena and noticed the change. Although she was confused at her trainer's determined features, she was happy to see she seemed better. Delphox would have tried to talk to her again, but she noticed that she had reverted back into using her Pokélanguage again. She figured it was because Mew was no longer with them.

After waiting in the house for about a half an hour, Serena and Delphox noticed a pink glow outside. Curious, they both looked out the window. They gasped when they saw that Mew didn't have a human, but a Pokémon with her. The two quickly went back outside to check it out.

The Pokémon looked like a slightly withered electric mouse with a long lightning shaped tail. Her beady brown eyes seemed to have years of experience and she seemed very mellow, but curious about Serena. Her fur seemed rougher and lighter brown than other Pokémon Serena had seen of this type. Based on how she presented herself, Serena had a feeling she knew this Pokémon's nickname.

"Are you… Mrs. Aurora's Raichu? Wasabi is what she called you in her story of some of her earlier adventures." Serena asked. The Raichu nodded and seemed tickled at this. Mew made Wasabi glow pink to enable her to speak to Serena.

 **"** **Why yes, I am. You are Serena, correct?"** Wasabi asked. The girl nodded in acknowledgment. Wasabi said with a respectful bow, **"It's a pleasure meeting young master Ash's betrothed."**

"Umm…. Betrothed? I'm… I'm just his girlfriend. I'm… not up to that level with him." Serena said while stammering. Serena's face immediately turned red as she turned shy. Wasabi suddenly gained a cheeky grin.

 **"** **Yet."** Wasabi finished her last sentence, as she'd heard some hesitation in Serena's voice. Despite not being an aura partner, Wasabi seemed to know what Serena was thinking.

"I… I hope to marry him someday, at least," Serena admitted with her face even redder than before.

 **"** **You amuse me, girl. I used to be like you, being this shy. Funny how years of training makes you a bit reflective."** Wasabi chuckled. She slowly walked toward the girl and brought out her tail for Serena to grab like a hand. Serena was confused by the gesture. Wasabi said, **"Mew asked me to be your partner today. She said I will be needed for you to complete Alice's trial. Will you accept my tail in partnership?"**

"My partner? You're willing to help me even though you just met me?" Serena blinked her eyes in surprise. The mouse nodded.

 **"** **I may have just met you, but I know a good kid when I see one. Aurora told me all about you when she first returned here with the young master. She seemed to like you quite a lot, even telling me how excited she was at how close you and Ash are. Seems like I'm not the only one excited at the prospect of adding a new member to the family, hehe."** Wasabi laughed. This made Serena visibly blush again. Wasabi started again, **"Well? Will you accept my invitation?"**

"I… I accept. Thank you for this." Serena said as she grabbed the tip of Wasabi's tail and shook it. She was surprised at not getting shocked and marveled at Wasabi's control with her inner electricity. Wasabi stood back into a neutral position. Serena began to wonder something about the mouse. She pondered, "Because of the whole mother-son separation thing with Ash and Mrs. Aurora, I need to know this. Are you Pikachu's mother?"

 **"** **I've been a mother to several Pikachu, dear."**

"I mean Ash's Pikachu."

 **"** **Ah… you're talking about Little Chu, right?"** Wasabi asked. Serena nodded. Wasabi chuckled, **"I'll tell you right now that he's not one of my children. I'm a Hokorian Raichu. Ash's partner is Kantonian. There's a distinct difference in the softness of our fur and the coloration."**

"What's the difference?" Serena said, now curious.

 **"** **Hokorian Pikachu tend to have much rougher and lighter fur bristling with electricity. This is to deter our natural predators, the Chelestsic and Chelectop lines, from eating and finding us using the light yellowish grasses of Mufasa Fields. If they do eat us, they get shocked from the inside out, possibly killing them depending on the maturity of the Pikachu. Pikachu from Kanto have much softer and darker fur. The darker fur meshes with a deep forest better than a light yellow would."** Wasabi explained.

"Wow. That's cool to learn." Serena said, somewhat intrigued.

 **"** **If you have any more questions for me, I'll be happy to answer them,"** Wasabi said with an easygoing smile.

"One more thing… Mew?" Serena asked the legendary Pokémon. Mew tilted her head in curiosity, but gave Serena her full attention. "What was that white thing that Mr. Gordo used against me?"

 **"** **That was a Z-Ring Bracelet. With a Z crystal, you can power up a certain type and use it to hit your opponent. This device originates in Alola."** Mew explained.

"Alola, huh?" Serena tapered off to herself. That wasn't the first time she'd heard of the place. She remembered Clemont mentioning how Aurora cooked her food with the Alola region in mind. She hadn't thought too much of the region, though.

 **"** **Here's another tidbit about Alola. Alola have much more drastic regional forms than any other region. Raichu from there looks much more different than Raichu from Kanto or Hokori. Instead of having sharp points at their tails, they have curvier tails and blue eyes. They can levitate and use electric and psychic type moves, too. They are also Psychic types themselves."**

"What?!" Serena widened her eyes in surprise.

 **"** **I think this is a good opportunity to explain what Alola has to offer as we head to the crystal caves. Wasabi, feel free to add some input as Aurora did take you on her journey there. You got to see a lot of things first hand."** Mew said. Wasabi and Serena nodded. Serena decided to return Delphox to her capsule. She wanted the fox to get some good rest after what happened to her.

Mew and Wasabi explained the lore of Alola, from Z-moves to regional variants to how the region was much more mellow than other regions. Serena was surprised to hear that Alola didn't have any gyms, but was curious about these island challenges. Her thought immediately went to Ash when she heard them explain that island challenges involved figuring something out, then battling a large totem Pokémon. She knew Ashton liked to figure things out while Ash liked to battle things, so she felt like these island challenges would be a perfect fit for what Ash as a whole liked.

Wasabi talked about how all the known regional variants in Alola were Kantonian in origin and gave some examples of Pokémon. Serena heard her mention how Ninetails is an ice type and fairy type in Alola or how the fire and ghost type Marowak became that way to overcome the grass types in the region. Serena remembered those Pokémon as being fire and ground type everywhere else respectfully. Serena was now much more curious about the region.

She also was curious about Z-rings and how they added an extra layer in battling. She was thinking about how certain types of moves might fit into one of her routines and grew excited to learn more. Maybe Ash and her could get Z-rings in the future. She'd love to ask Aurora about these rings more since she used to be a Coordinator. Maybe she would know ways of using them in a flashier way?

Through all the talking, Serena, Mew and Wasabi made it out of the forest and into the crystal caves. Mew led them down to a quick path right at the entrance from the lower level of the Tree.

As they walked, Wasabi also told Serena all the moves she knew. Serena widened her eyes at the sheer variety this mouse knew. Wasabi explained that Aurora went to move tutors occasionally during her journey. She also could tutor moves certain moves for Pokémon. The mouse also explained that some of Aurora's aura partners had unorthodox moves as a result, but Serena didn't know what they could be. Wasabi gave the example of her knowing Surf from being in Alola and learning from a surfing master. Serena had one more thing to ask Aurora when she returned from her Champion duties.

As they were walking, Wasabi was eyeing Serena closely. She decided to ask, **"Why are you putting yourself through this, anyway?"**

"Huh?" Serena blinked her eyes in slight confusion. Wasabi decided to clarify her viewpoint.

 **"** **It's clear from Mew's description that Aurora's parents do not like your presence here. Yet, you're still here trying to get through to them. I'm wondering why."** Wasabi reiterated in a way that would get Serena to respond.

"To be honest, I'm not sure why," Serena admitted. The mouse looked up at the human, unimpressed. She seemed to be slightly disappointed.

 **"** **Oh? Think a bit harder. There's always a reason why humans act the way they do…"** Wasabi urged. Serena took a moment to think a bit harder. She really didn't know why she was still trying to go through this. Then, it hit her.

"Well, I guess part of me doesn't want to give up. I don't want to give up trying if I haven't made my best attempt at trying to get through to Ash's grandparents. This odd trial is my best attempt at it." Serena explained. Wasabi seemed a bit more satisfied hearing this.

 **"** **Hmm..."**

"Ash told me never to give up when we both were younger. This was before his journey, but after he separated from his biological mom. He saved me from a Pokémon approaching me and told me never to give up when I thought the Pokémon was going to attack me. I always take his words to heart and even if I freeze, I won't give up." Serena explained to her.

 ** _"_** ** _Young love is intriguing to see. Who have you found here, young master? Is she worthy of you? Guess I'll see when Alice sends us off."_** Wasabi mused in her thoughts. She decided to say aloud, **"Interesting. It's clear you care about Ash, but be careful in going too far in something. Giving up isn't always a bad thing."**

"Are… you saying I shouldn't try this then?" Serena said with hints of anger in tone. Wasabi was surprised at the sudden shift, but happy. She wanted to hear that the girl truly cared about this. To some level, she did. Wasabi felt like she wasn't wasting her time.

 **"** **No. I'm saying that you need to know your boundaries and not to go too far. Don't force yourself to do things you don't like for someone else. Otherwise, you're left to be unhappy."** Wasabi advised.

"I'll never give up until I've made my best attempt. If I'm unhappy trying, then so be it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I truly didn't try to be more peaceful with Ash's grandparents. Ash's mom, at the very least, likes me, so it's not all bad. If this fails, I'll see what happens after." Serena said in a strong tone. Wasabi seemed concerned.

 **"I respect a girl with drive, but Aurora's parents are quite mean to people they don't know. They're also very stubborn. I don't want to see anything happen to an innocent girl."** Wasabi admitted.

"…" Serena didn't know how to respond to that.

 **"** **Still… keep up your conviction. If you do manage to get through, you'd gain the trust of two experienced guardians that would do everything in their power to protect you. Most importantly, they'd treat you like family. I admire your attitude and I look forward to being your sword in this trial. No Pokémon will defeat me. Count on it."** Wasabi stated confidently.

"Thank you, Wasabi." Serena thanked. Wasabi made an easygoing smile in response.

When they made it out of the caves into additional grassland, they noticed Alice and Gordo battling each other in the air. They seemed to have gotten tired of waiting, so they had decided to keep themselves entertained.

Alice had a dark look on her face. It seemed nearly ghostly. Gordo was eager to show off his fighting spirit. Gordo shot several aura spheres at his wife. Instead of dodging them, Alice phased through them like a ghost. Even the way she was floating made her appear like she wasn't fully anchored to this world. Serena couldn't see her legs from in her dress. Serena wondered who Alice's main partner was if Gordo's was a Machamp.

Alice's wavy hair began to move wildly on its own. She brought out her hand. She surrounded Gordo with spears of ice that looked ready to impale at a moment's glance. Gordo looked around himself, slightly surprised, but mostly excited. Alice closed her hand. Within a blink of an eye, the ice spears slammed into Gordo. There was a bunch of steam upon impact. Alice narrowed her eyes.

Suddenly Gordo emerged from the steam, fists blazing with dark red aura. Alice seemed surprised at how fast he was moving. When he lunged at her, he seemingly phased right through her. Alice disappeared from the air. Gordo snorted to himself and turned left. Making his eyes completely yellow, he found where Alice was really hiding and grabbed her arms. He quickly forced both of her hands behind her to restrain her. Alice gasped at Gordo's speed. Her brown eyes, however, hid a twinkle.

"Your illusions won't trick me again, dear," Gordo said. He then proceeded to surround her in a bubble of water, trapping her. Alice couldn't break out due to how Gordo made it. It wasn't completely water and Gordo was using his own aura to trap her instead.

"Hggh!" Alice said from inside. She was banging it as hard as she could, but nothing was happening. The bubble from within was full of air since Gordo didn't want to drown her, but still wanted to win their battle.

"Looks like I won this exchange." Gordo snickered. He leaned against his aura made bubble with a cheeky grin. Alice laughed slightly and shook her head.

 _"_ _Don't sell me too short, hun. A good guardian always saves all her tricks until the end."_ Alice thought with narrowed eyes. Alice's brown eyes turned completely light blue. She had a confident smirk as she turned Gordo's bubble completely into ice. She seemed frozen inside. Gordo immediately was shocked and concerned.

"What the?" Gordo said, trying to turn the water back into aura. He felt like he was being overridden by her. Gordo hissed when the ice ball exploded into several shards, scratching Gordo immensely and causing several cuts throughout his body. Gordo groaned, "Gah!"

Unable to take so many ice shards gazing his skin, he started to lose control of his levitation and fall from the sky. Before he could fall on the ground roughly, a light blue outline surrounded him. Alice floated right beside him as she softly carried him down with his aura. Gordo landed on the ground lying on his back with several cuts on him. Alice immediately tended to him. She placed her hands on his chest and began to concentrate her power on healing Gordo from his injuries. He looked up at her goofily.

"Game, set and match, honey. I may not be as overt with my aura as you, but that doesn't mean a thing if you don't have control over the situation. You'll never best me if you don't control the situation completely." Alice said while concentrating.

"Gah… I almost had you…" Gordo winced when she hovered her hands over one of his wounds.

"Easy there, you big lug. I'll be finished healing you shortly. I'm sorry. Did I go a bit too far there…?" Alice said in remorse. When she was retaliating, she was thinking more about how she would get out of Gordo's bubble than the consequences of her actions. She felt guilty.

"Hahaha… of course not. It's always a treat seeing you legitimately trying in a battle. It's refreshing… especially considering you don't like fighting. Don't worry. I'll be fine like I always am." Gordo said to cheer her up.

"Um… can I… help… with healing him?" Serena called out.

Alice seemed surprised to see Serena here and didn't notice she was here until now. She was wondering why Wasabi was with her and figured Mew had something to do with it. She wasn't expecting Serena to ever offer to help her husband, especially after what he just did to her. It left Alice baffled.

"…" Alice didn't respond to her.

"I don't want your filthy mitts near me. Alice can do it herself." Gordo hissed. Gordo was much more definite in his emotions. He would never trust a psychic to use their power on him. Serena sighed and turned away, not surprised, but slightly dismayed. Meanwhile, Wasabi was narrowing her eyes in disgust at Gordo. She was just like her trainer with a lot of things so seeing the disgust didn't surprise Gordo. Mew seemed to be observing everyone.

"Hmm…" Alice closed her eyes in thought, but finished her work. Gordo, sat up, almost good as new. He noticed Alice looked significantly drained after helping him and offered to let her rest her head on his lap. However, his wife declined and stood up promptly. Her husband followed suit. She turned to Serena and said, "Thank you for the offer, child. Forgive Gordo's discourtesy to you there. He's always been a bit of a prideful sort."

"Er… No problem?" Serena said, surprised that she would apologize. She wondered what changed.

"You had us waiting a while. I'm surprised Gordo didn't break you. Makes things more interesting, I suppose. It seems like you're finally ready… with some outside help. Wasabi, it's a been a while." Alice said.

 **"** **Likewise, Alice."** Wasabi formally acknowledged her.

"I'm assuming Mew looked into the future to see what I would have you do and saw that you would fail without Wasabi. I'm a bit surprised she'd do that for a non-Ketchum." Alice said with slight intrigue.

 **"** **I see potential in her and… and I was evening the playing field. You know how unfair your trial is considering Serena's main Pokémon is a fire type and her other two Pokémon aren't nearly strong enough or durable enough for the challenge."** Mew said with a suspicious tone.

"What is this trial, anyway?" Serena asked. Even though she was feeling discouraged that Alice had set her up to fail, she was glad Mew stepped in on her behalf again. She felt like Mew believed in her just as much as Ash and Aurora would. With that in mind, she felt determined to succeed.

Alice went inside her dress through her chest and took out a pink crystal. Serena marveled at how pretty it was. She threw it to Serena. The girl barely caught it. Alice explained, "You are to find three crystals just like the one I gave you. Each crystal is guarded by a variation of the same Pokémon. They will each have their own style you will need to overcome. I noticed your battling skills are weak, so this will force you to think outside the box with your Pokémon. You have until nightfall to find the crystals, otherwise, you will fail."

"What? Why is there such a strict time limit?" Serena said, slightly pouting. She noticed that it was slightly after noon. The crystal caves were like a labyrinth when not taking the straight path up or down and Serena didn't know the layout like everyone else.

"The reason for this is because the crystal I gave you should help you locate the other three. The aura signatures are identical. This trial will also force you to learn to use your aura to sense distant objects and learn the tree's labyrinth style cave system. If you pass, you would have been able to sense the other crystals. I imagine Mew won't help you with that part." Alice said.

 **"** **That is correct,"** Mew confirmed.

"Good. At least the trial isn't completely neutered. You should start as soon as you can. Time's ticking…" Alice said with a neutral expression. Serena and Wasabi looked at each other and nodded. They quickly went inside to overcome Alice's challenge. Mew stayed outside for a few moments.

 **"** **You know… I'm impressed with how diabolical you are, Alice. Makes me wonder why you're so much more like me than your husband is."** Mew noted. Alice and Gordo seemed surprised to hear this.

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or concerned you feel this way," Alice admitted.

 **"** **Humph. Concerned, if anything. That means I need to keep a closer watch on you. I'm glad I looked into the future here. I noticed you were going to be a bit… off in your interaction with Serena just now. Not all pink crystals are stable and you know she doesn't know that. Serena would have died in there without Wasabi… and you planned it."** Mew growled.

"…" Alice's eyes turned from neutral to having slight malice. Gordo seemed surprised at Mew looking into the future here. She never did that unless the situation was very serious. He didn't think Alice killing her off was a bad thing, but still wasn't sure how he felt about it. Gordo knew Alice could be shrewd and calculating… but he also knew that if she didn't like something, she was much deadlier than he was.

 **"** **Ash… would have gone on a rampage upon returning… and a devastating one at that. I've… been directly his target of hatred during in his coma trial and his potential to raze is… distressing. The Tree… and so many Pokémon would have been burned to ashes in his anguish. Be careful of what you try to do to Serena. He cares about her way more than you think he does."** Mew told them.

"I… I…" Alice seemed both surprised and terrified upon hearing this. She didn't think her trial would have that much of a consequence. She really didn't think Ash would be that hurt.

 **"** **You've thought several steps ahead to hinder her… but think about the bigger picture here. Is your hatred of psychics** ** _really_** **so important that you'd be willing to harm your grandson's love and his perception of you in the process?"** Mew questioned.

"…" Alice didn't know how to respond.

 **"** **I need to catch up with the girl. Think** ** _completely_** **next time. I can't stop bad things from occurring often, but this,"** Before teleporting away to Serena, Mew said, **"…was something I couldn't ignore."**

"Alice… are you alright?" Gordo said in concern.

"… No, I'm not." Alice said candidly.

"Can I… do something to make you feel better? Mew being this deadly serious is rare to see, so I know you're feeling a little overwhelmed by it." Gordo said.

"She… was reprimanding me like a mother would her child for doing something reckless. Am… I in the wrong for doing what I thought was right? Delilah… tried to kill us even when we were nice to her... even when we raised her. Now… she's… just like the rest of them. I didn't want Serena to do the same to us someday." Alice admitted.

"Psychics are awful people, though. Delilah just showed that were right about them. She's crazy and was willing to kill Aurora, twice even! No matter how much Aurora was nice to her, she didn't change. Nothing Mew says can change that, too." Gordo said to try to cheer her up.

"But… aren't we awful, too?" Alice questioned.

"Honey… don't say that…" Gordo said, slight affronted.

"But aren't we?!" Alice yelled. Gordo widened his eyes in surprise. Alice said while looking away, "I almost made an egregious mistake that would have cost us our grandson so soon after we just met him again. I love Ash and I thought this would be protecting him from someone that could one day hurt him. I don't want to be as bad as psychics, but I guess I really am horrible like them, aren't I?"

"Alison… don't think for a second that you're horrible. People make mistakes. That is what makes us human! I will defend you to my last breath, no matter what you do. Whatever mistake you do or feel like you've done shouldn't bring you down." Gordo said while clutching her shoulders. Alice shook her head and forced him to let go.

"I…don't think you should be defending me like you are, but I appreciate it, sweetie. Killing someone just because you think they shouldn't be here isn't a mistake. It's a calculated crime… that I am ashamed of." Alice shook her head. She looked down and sighed. The raven-haired lady then said, "Whether or not the girl finishes the trial, I feel the need to make things right. Let's… go back to the house for now."

Gordo decided not to say nothing else, but he did nod. With that, the duo held hands and flew back toward Aurora's house.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Does Alice truly feel guilty for her actions? Why was she willing to be so drastic this quickly? You'll find out the reason the next time she's mentioned and you'll see if she's really sorry the next time she physically appears.**

 **Who will Serena encounter in the caves? The three Pokemon I chose should be different enough despite being the same species. I wonder if anyone will figure it out. I did provide a hint. Look closely~**

 **I do hope you all have a wonderful day!**

 **Next Chapter: Rocky Road**


	11. Rocky Road

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! The trials for Serena have just begun and hopefully will help her grow!**

 **It would be nice to get some feedback on the story thus far, to have an idea of how people are liking (or disliking) the story. I do hope you all enjoy, though!**

 ***Insert disclaimer about Pokemon being owned by Game Freak here***

* * *

 _Survival can be summed up in three words - never give up. That's the heart of it really. Just keep trying. -Bear Grylls_

* * *

Chapter 10: Rocky Road

Even though Serena rushed inside, she had no idea what she was doing. Wasabi was following closely behind her ready to listen to her instructions. Truth be told, she was excited to be a part of a trial of sorts again. Although she knew Serena wasn't Aurora, she would try her hardest for the teen like she would her trainer. Wasabi also wanted to try her best to defend her considering some of the traps Alice has laid for her. From what Mew told her, she needed to stay as vigilant as possible for both of them.

Serena asked Wasabi if she had any idea where to go. However, when she tried to speak, she spoke in her regular Pokélanguage. Puzzled, she wondered why Wasabi didn't switch to telepathy like the rest of Aurora's Pokémon. She realized after a little bit that she couldn't speak with telepathy because she wasn't a master guardian Aspect. Serena wondered how that made Wasabi feel, but the electric mouse didn't seem too bothered by this fact. Still, Serena also knew that if Wasabi couldn't speak, Mew wasn't near them. The psychic guardian wondered where she went.

Her question was answered when a pink ball of light suddenly appeared before them with a bunch of different Sitrus and Oran Berries. Mew flew out of the light and greeted them. Serena found herself glad to see her and figured the reason why Mew wasn't with them at first because she was getting these berries for them.

Mew gave Serena one of the Sitrus Berries and said with a smile, **"In my trials, I always make sure that my Ketchums have some source of food they have access to. It's always important to eat. Here, have this."**

"Thank you so much, Mew," Serena said as she ate it. She noted it tasted sweeter than most Sitrus Berries and loved it. She took another one that was floating to eat it. The girl didn't realize how hungry she was until she had a taste of the berries.

 **"** **It's not a problem. You won't find any food in the caves nor will you have enough time to go out to find food and find the crystals. I figured I can do this for you."** Mew said. She then gave an Oran Berry to Wasabi. The electric type ate it contentedly.

"Hmm…" Serena closed her eyes for a moment and thought to herself. Mew was confused by the gesture and tilted her head to show it.

 **"** **Is… there something wrong?"** Mew said with concern.

"No… no." Serena opened her eyes, nearly glistening. They seemed reflective. Mew and Wasabi both were giving her their full attention. Serena continued, "It's… just a little refreshing not being treated like dirt by something I associate to this Tree of yours. I was reveling in it for a moment. I was also thinking about Ash for a little. Even though it's been half a day, it feels like it's been much longer than that. I miss him so much."

 **"** **Oh… well, I'm happy that I made you feel welcome even for a little. I'm sure Ash is having the same thoughts as you, too. Don't worry. I'll see to it that you'll see him again."** Mew said and promised.

Mew didn't predict herself having this interaction with Serena, so it surprised her to see events diverge slightly. Even still, she was determined to see her promise through. Interacting with a non-Ketchum human more closely left the primordial curious. Mew could see that this human genuinely cared for her love and that was enough to make her want to safeguard her.

"Thank you… seriously." Serena said from the bottom from her heart. From how Mew said that last sentence, she felt a sense of urgency from her tone, but couldn't figure out why.

 **"** **Not a problem. By any chance, have you made any progress in finding the first crystal?"** Mew asked.

"No. I went in here as fast as I could. I haven't tried using an object to sense something else before and I don't know where to start." Serena admitted.

 **"** **A little crash course never hurt anybody, right? Do what you feel is natural to try to search and we'll go from there. I did mean what I said about not helping you sense the crystals. That would defeat much of the purpose of this trial."** Mew said.

Serena sighed, but wasn't surprised by the response. Serena closed her eyes and held the crystal close to her heart. Her hair started to flow wildly as she started to glow pink. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but she tried to remember how she felt when she was trying to find the Dastardly Dashing Dancers. A heart-like mark appeared on her chest. The crystal in her hands started to glow and so did the rest of the crystals in the cave.

Wasabi looked at this in awe. Her widened brown eyes were accompanied with astonishment at seeing a guardian's powers up close for the first time in a while. Meanwhile, Mew was looking around herself and studying the crystals in the cave. As the tree and her was interconnected, she felt like Serena was searching through her. Instead of feeling unnerved by this, she felt oddly happy. Mew was confused about the feeling and wasn't used to someone using their powers this way. She also noticed any cracks in the crystals were being patched up.

Mew blinked her eyes at the restorative nature of Serena's aura. She thought to herself, **_"Intriguing. Never have I seen aura used to heal non-living objects… even if these objects are somewhat living through me. This power is dangerous for someone like the Zurui to get their hands on."_**

For a few moments, Serena was focused on finding the pink crystals. After a while, her head began to hurt from the sheer amount of crystals present in the cave. She stopped using her powers and began to press her fingers against her temple. Wasabi immediately approached her to make sure she was okay. Serena made a reassuring smile.

Serena sighed and said to Wasabi, "There are way too many crystals in this cave. I feel like… Mew is all around me and it's weird."

 **"** **No, that's completely normal. You sensed well if you picked up on that. This cave… the crystals… we are one in the same. Even every step you take on the ground… you're stepping on me. I created this world… but this area of the Tree is literally the closest to my heart and being."** Mew said.

"We're… inside of you right now?" Serena said, clearly disgusted. She was looking around herself nervously. Mew chuckled at this.

 **"** **In some ways, yes. In a more obvious way, no. I guess it depends on how you see it."** Mew reminded her. Serena decided not to question this further to avoid weirding herself out more.

"Even still, there are way too many crystals in this cave. I can't get a clear picture of the pink crystals." Serena noted.

 **"** **All the crystals attached to this cave are the color of my aura: blue. The pink crystals are the color of my secondary aura: the more concealed version unless needed. Try distinguishing the colors in your search this time... look for crystals that aren't attached to the cave walls. Once again, go with what's natural to you."** Mew suggested.

Serena nodded and began to concentrate even harder than before. Once again, the crystal in her hand began to glow pink. Serena closed her eyes and tried to find the aura most hidden to her. In her concentration, the pink crystal began to glow even more intensely and a four-pointed star mark appeared on her face. Both the star on her face and the heart on her chest shimmered brightly. Wasabi stepped back and watched in awe. Mew was merely eyeing the girl and her technique.

Serena focused on what wasn't attached to the cave walls and found fewer crystals this way. She sensed five pink crystals in different parts of the cave. They weren't too far from the first one, but it was directly above them. Serena made the crystal stop glowing and opened her eyes. They seemed determined, but slightly confused at there being two extra pink crystals hidden.

Serena said, "There are five crystals here… but one of them is directly above us. I have no idea how we're going to get to there from here, though."

 **"** **Let's take a shortcut, shall we?"** Mew said with a smile. The smile seemed slightly mischievous and Serena noticed this. The girl grew a little concerned. Wasabi seemed excited.

"A shortcut?" Serena said with confusion. Mew started to lightly tug on her blouse. Serena got the message and started to follow the mythical Pokémon. Mew gestured her to a cave wall. She seemed pretty excited.

 **"** **This is a better and more fun way to traverse this cave system. Go through this wall."** Mew said as she went through the wall herself. Wasabi's face lightened up as she jumped through the wall as well. Seeing as she didn't have much of a choice, Serena took the plunge and jumped through.

At first, Serena saw nothing of a large abyss below her. She was terrified. Then, several blue circular blob-like substances came up from below and caught Serena. Serena saw Wasabi and Mew resting on another blob and was laughing to themselves. They seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"What are these things?" Serena wondered. She noted how squishy they were.

 **"** **My circulatory and immune system, essentially,"** Mew answered easily. Serena immediately became grossed out and moved her hands off of whatever she was sitting on.

"Okay… this is so not right." Serena jittered slightly to herself. Mew rolled her eyes while Wasabi laughed slightly at her.

 **"** **Stop thinking about it and just enjoy the elevator ride up!"** Mew said as they rose to a much higher point than before. Serena shrugged her shoulders and rode it out the best way she could. Although she was less than thrilled traveling in what was essentially a bloodstream, she had to admit Mew was right about it being a little fun.

When they reached to where Mew wanted, Mew floated to where Serena was a began tugging on her again. The psychic guardian got the message and started to jump from blob to blob. She noticed that they became more like hard surfaces and wondered if Mew was accommodating for her. She then went through another wall and noticed they were much higher than before. Although she had no idea how to travel through those systems, she speculated that Ash would want to ride those things more when he came back.

Immediately when they phased through, they noticed the first crystal right in front of them. However, there was no guardian Pokémon near it. Serena immediately narrowed her eyes in distrust. So did Wasabi. The electric mouse gestured Serena not to go any further or touch it. The teenager obliged. Then the Raichu did something she never saw a Raichu do.

Rubbing her face with her paws, she charged up a lot of energy inside herself. It was to the point where Wasabi's fur was visibly tingling with electricity. Then, from her cheeks, Wasabi created an electric web of energy. Immediately upon getting touched, the crystal self-destructed and blew all of them back. Serena and Wasabi grunted when they landed on their stomachs. Mew had created a protective bubble around herself before the crystal exploded.

 **"** **I knew it. Electroweb contained enough of that crystal's unstable energy for us not to get seriously injured or drained. Dirty woman… that could have killed us!"** Wasabi hissed.

"Killed!?" Serena exclaimed with widened eyes. The girl immediately turned to Mew and asked, "What would have happened if Delphox or I had touched that without any sort of protection?"

 **"** **The contained explosion would have constricted your aura and movements. You would have died from your aura being unable to flow out of you naturally… like you can't breathe."** Mew explained sadly.

"…" Serena didn't know what to say. She fell on her knees and started to look down. Alarmed, Mew and Wasabi approached her face to make sure she was going to be alright. After a few moments, Serena decided to sit against a stable wall. She sighed.

"Why? Just… why, Mrs. Alice? What did I do for you to hate me so much?" Serena said to herself, very dejected. Mew felt the need to clear the girl's mind a bit.

 **"** **She doesn't hate you per se. She hates psychics... or people partly psychic. Racism can warp you into doing things you wouldn't normally to any other person. Bad experiences, as well. You know Ash's adoptive aunt, Delilah?"** Mew asked.

"Yes." Serena nodded. How could she forget the woman that tried to kill her sister and nephew?

 **"** **She's one of the reasons why Gordon and Alison hate psychics now. They used to be much more open-minded about them. The two found her in the street and raised her. Then, after Aurora was born five years later, they raised them both. Delilah was a mischievous child, liking to pull pranks occasionally, but her heart was in the right place. She often made sure to give random people food she saved from dinner or play with her sister in different places. However, as they got older, Gordon and Alison began to focus on training more and trained Aurora almost exclusively."** Mew started.

Serena listened intently, but didn't say anything. She wanted to hear the story to its finish.

 **"** **Delilah hated that her parents didn't give her the time of day like Aurora and her heart started to grow cold. She started to lash out more and more as an older teen until it culminated in a life-changing confrontation when she turned twenty-one. Granted, Gordon and Alison never realized how little attention they gave her because Aurora had been their preferred child, but they loved her just as much. Now that love is hatred. Delilah resents them for never receiving the attention she needed to feel loved... and tried to kill them for it."** Mew explained.

"Wow… that's really messed up and sad." Serena said with a heavy voice.

 **"** **Yep, but sometimes life diverges in paths you don't like. It's up to you to deal with it as best you could. Still, with Delilah betraying them, Gordon and Alison started to hate every psychic and blew up any action they do much bigger than they should. Any bad action a psychic does give them justification to act just as nasty. It's a vicious cycle of confirmation bias that's rampant in Hokori, too."** Mew explained further.

"I haven't done anything wrong… at least I hope I haven't." Serena said in a small voice.

 **"** **Trust me, you haven't done anything remotely justifiable for how they act towards you. Doesn't make it right, but… maybe you can do something to break them out of their bitterness?"** Mew said with a slight shrug.

"Do you really think someone like me could change years of animosity of two elderly people?" Serena asked incredulously. Mew seemed to ponder the question for a few moments before shaking her head.

 **"** **Of course not… not alone, at least. That's all I'll say about this, though. You need to find the first guardian quickly. Where was the next closest crystal you sensed? Wasabi and I shall follow and assist you."** Mew told her.

Serena wasn't sure if she could change two people that had lived long enough to be set in their ways. If their own daughter couldn't, then Serena didn't feel like she had much of a chance. Still, Serena also knew that they loved Ash from how they regarded him. The girl wondered if her relationship with Ash would help the elderly pair open their eyes a bit. She felt determined.

Serena looked at the pink crystal gave her. She suddenly had a sense of unease looking at it. What's causing this crystal not to explode in their faces? Did Alice somehow stabilize it before giving it to her? If so, how? Serena found herself wanting to tinker with the pink crystal in her possession, but decided against it.

The girl closed her eyes and concentrated. She noticed it was getting easier to sense these crystals. Within a few moments, she got an idea where the closest crystal and started to make a beeline for it. Surprised by the sudden movement, Wasabi and Mew followed the girl immediately. Wasabi went on higher alert now that she witnessed what Mew had seen in her vision up close. She ran on all fours with narrowed eyes. Mew was floating at a brisk pace, wondering how Serena would fare against the first guardian.

After about thirty minutes of traversing the labyrinth that was the Tree of Beginning's cave system, Serena and the Pokémon eventually came across another pink crystal, but saw a Pokémon sleeping by it. The pink crystal was in its large paws. The Pokémon was also sleeping in a relatively large circular dead end. It looked spacious enough for a fight if it had to come to that.

Serena could see that it was a canine-like Pokémon of some sort. It looked like it would be bipedal, but had the capacity to run with all four paws like Wasabi could. It had white top fur and red fur on its torso. Its white fluffy fur curled into what looked to be a moon. The Pokémon looked kind of cute while it was sleeping. Serena was wondering how she was going to take the crystal without disturbing the Pokémon.

The psychic guardian snapped her fingers when she got an idea. Bring her hand out, she channeled her power into the crystal in the Pokémon's paws. Serena figured that this crystal would be stable if the guard Pokémon could touch it. When the crystal moved an inch, the eyes of the sleeping Pokémon opened sharply and he quickly grabbed it back. Serena gasped at how bloody red they appeared. The girl felt as intimidated as Gordo staring her down.

Serena gulped and prepared to fight the Pokémon. Still, she had no idea what kind of Pokémon this was nor did she know its typing. When she took out her Pokédex to find out, it said, "Unknown Pokémon found."

"Unknown Pokémon?" Serena blinked her eyes in shock. She hadn't heard Dexter say that before.

 **"** **This Pokémon hails from the Alola region. He is the midnight version of a Pokémon called Lycanroc. He's a Rock-type, but he is the slowest but most versatile when it comes to which moves he knows."** Wasabi explained. The Lycanroc seemed surprised to see Wasabi here. Serena now understood what Mew said about her Pokémon being at a disadvantage naturally. The girl didn't think this Lycanroc looked like a Rock type. He looked more like a Normal type to her. The mouse continued, **"This is Aurora's father's Lycanroc, too. His nickname is Lupus."**

 **"** **Spare me the introduction, rodent. This wimp is who I need to kill? Should be child's play."** Lupus said after Mew enabled him to speak. The Pokémon had a surprisingly deep voice for a Pokémon. It made Serena feel odd. The wolf-like Pokémon approached his prey, but Wasabi immediately used Thunderbolt to block his path. Wasabi narrowed her eyes and stood in front of Serena protectively.

 **"** **I will be your opponent, canine. Serena shall be my commander… and you will go down. You will not lay a claw on her."** Wasabi growled.

 **"** **I can tell by her stance and the fact that Mew is here that this girl barely knows what she's doing. Even if you're stronger than me, that won't matter without a good trainer. Let's see how you'll crash and burn…"** Lupus said with a grin.

Wasabi responded with sparks forming at her cheeks and narrowed eyes. Lupus cracked his fists and got into a battle stance. Wasabi looked at Serena for instructions. After what happened in her earlier battle with Gordo, Serena didn't have too much confidence in herself, but knew she didn't have a choice.

Serena said with slight hesitance, "Wasabi, use Thunderbolt!"

The Raichu heeded to her temporary trainer's call. She summoned a lot of electrical power and shot it at the rock type. Instead of taking it, Lupus created several rocks around himself and shot at the Thunderbolt. The two attacks clashed and formed dust. Serena started to cough due to being in an enclosed area. However, Wasabi's attack broke through Lupus's Stone Edge and hit him directly.

Serena smiled at the result. It didn't surprise her that Aurora's Pokémon would be stronger than her father's Pokémon, but that made things a lot easier than the other way around. Lupus shook off the electric attack the best way he could. Once the dust cleared, Serena saw the Lycanroc's eyes glowing red with annoyance.

Serena began to think about what other moves Wasabi told her she had. Even though Wasabi knew Surf, she didn't want everyone to drown within the cave. So, she decided to stick with moves that would be more contained. Serena quickly remembered another move Wasabi knew that would be super effective. Serena commanded, "Now use Iron Tail!"

Wasabi made her long tail glow a steely gray. Lupus looked prepared to take the attack. The brown tip of the top of its fur began to glow red. With a yell, Wasabi slammed her tail into the rock type's head. Although he winced slightly at the impact, he suddenly became surrounded by a red aura. Lupus counterattacked by tackling Wasabi in the gut. The electric type exhaled in pain. Serena looked horrified when Wasabi fell on her knees in slight pain.

"Wasabi!" Serena said in a panic. Wasabi made a reassuring gesture and shook herself off. Lupus started to approach Wasabi with his head glowing blue. Serena recognized the move as Zen Headbutt. She didn't know what to do and froze in her spot. Upon not hearing a command, Wasabi turned to Serena and noticed her anxiety.

 **"** **I'm… fine. Please… command me!"** Wasabi called out. That was enough to snap Serena out of her trance.

"Oh… sorry! Dodge that and counterattack with Thunder Punch!" Serena said.

Wasabi sighed, but nevertheless decided to do what she wanted. The mouse knew exactly how the interaction would go, but decided to let Serena see for herself. When Lupus went for a headbutt, Wasabi instantly dodged it and charged her fists in electricity. With a cry, she punched Lupus in the same area he had tacked her in. Lupus hissed in pain.

When Wasabi went for another punch, Lupus once again made the brown tip of his fur glow red. Serena still didn't know what that move was because she'd never seen it before today. When Wasabi punched Lupus again, he once again became surrounded in red aura and counterattacked by punching Wasabi. Wasabi screamed as she was knocked into the cave wall. Smoke ensured after the impact. Lupus smiled in triumph. Serena looked horribly dismayed and immediately tried to help out Wasabi. As soon as she made a step to approach, she noticed sparks flying wildly throughout the cave even though the smoke.

Once the smoke cleared, Serena noticed Wasabi's cheeks and tail were producing massive amounts of electricity in annoyance. Instead of the yellowish color Serena had witnessed before, the electricity was a deep violet. Wasabi forced herself off the wall and glared at the Lycanroc menacingly. She forced her electricity to weaken back to yellow. Lupus was eager to continue the battle. He didn't think he'd beaten up Wasabi enough anyway. Wasabi looked at Serena for another command, but didn't hear anything from Serena again. When she turned around again, she noticed Serena had her eyes closed tightly in shame.

Serena felt so useless. Even when she had a powerful Pokémon had her disposal like Wasabi, she still couldn't do anything. The girl felt weak. She felt like she was a failure as a trainer and lost the will to continue. Seeing Lupus's brutality match his trainer was startling. Her mind temporarily replaced Wasabi with a nearly dead Delphox.

"I'm… so sorry. I… I can't do it. I'm… not good enough for this…" Serena said with a dejected tone.

 **"** **Serena?"** Wasabi noticed she lost all resolve in her voice. Wasabi looked up at Mew for any sort of hint. Mew was watching everything neutrally and her eyes gave no sort of help. Wasabi knew it was up to her before she would lose.

"Wasabi… I'm… so sorry. I can't protect anything or do anything right. Maybe… Ash's grandparents were right about me…" When Wasabi heard that, it stirred a wave of anger she hadn't experienced in years. Wasabi turned around and shot a weakened yellow Thunderbolt at Serena. Serena hissed more in surprise instead of pain. By virtue of being a psychic guardian, her natural resistance to electricity was high and Wasabi took advantage.

 **"** **Snap out of that self-pity mode this instant!"** Wasabi said with a harsh tone. Serena stepped back in surprise because she had never spoken with that sort of tone before. Wasabi continued in a hardened voice, **"Don't falter so quickly. You haven't lost yet! This version of Lycanroc's main move is Counter. Think about the best way to overcome defensive counterattacks… what do I look like I can do to overcome that? You need to be more privy to your Pokémon's strengths and utility. I do have a lot of utility, after all."**

"Wasabi…" Serena didn't know how to respond to her. She sounded like a seasoned Pokémon. Wasabi shook her head at the incoming Lycanroc. She started to dodge Lupus's onslaught of Fire Punches on her own. Lupus looked frustrated at how fast Wasabi was. Serena watched the sight in awe and observation.

 **"** **You told me you'd** ** _never give up_** **. Gonna go back on your words now?"** Wasabi reminded.

When Serena heard Wasabi tell her to never give up, she imagined Ash right in front of her saying this and defending her. Then, she shook her head at herself. How could she have been acting so stupid? She resolved never to give up again… especially when there was still hope. Serena narrowed her eyes. Her psychic and guardian marks began to shimmer brightly. Mew went from looking neutral to looking intrigued for a split second before appearing neutral again.

"N-no! Never!" Serena said with stubbornness. Wasabi chuckled and she looked at her temporary trainer with renewed hope.

 **"** **Good. You got this! Just tell me what to do."** Wasabi encouraged.

Serena knew she was holding Wasabi back and was determined to change that. Serena began to think about Wasabi's advice. She thought to herself, _"Lupus specializes in counterattacking, just like his trainer. Trying to override defense didn't work with Delphox and Champ. What has Wasabi shown me that's her strength?"_

Wasabi looked back for a split second to see if anything has changed in Serena's expression. Wasabi smiled when she noticed that she seemed to be strategizing. Wasabi decided to try and give Serena as much time as she needed to think by continuously dodging Lupus's onslaught. At this point, the wolf was irritated that the mouse would not let up her fleet-footedness. Seeing how Wasabi moved so quickly made Serena realize her strength.

Serena snapped her fingers, _"Wasabi is super-fast and her best moves are special attacks. I can use her speed to my advantage and use her special attacks to attack from a distance! I doubt Lupus can bypass this without Mr. Gordo. It should be even more potent with Lupus getting tired."_

Serena called out, "Wasabi! Think you can keep dodging Lupus's attacks?"

 **"** **It's been super simple so far. Consider it done."** Wasabi said. She enunciated the word 'simple' heavily with a mischievous smile. Lupus grew angry at the taunt.

 **"** **I'll make you eat those words, rodent! Stay still!"** Lupus growled.

Wasabi continued to dodge each of Lupus's punches expertly. Wasabi's smile turned more and more taunting and cocky. Lupus was fuming. He no longer was thinking about defending the crystal as per his master's request. He was thinking more about how he would punch this smug mouse's face in.

Serena notice Lupus's stance changed and his punches were getting more and more predictable. Serena looked for an opening for her to use. When Lupus when for a high Fire Punch, Serena seized the opportunity. Serena commanded, "Wasabi, grab his arm and throw him against the cave wall!"

Wasabi ducked the overhead swing and did exactly what Serena wanted. Lupus gasped when Wasabi grabbed his overextended arm and threw him against the cave wall. Shocked at how strong the Raichu was, Lupus struggled to get out of the hole he previously made with Wasabi.

"Now use Thunder and finish him off. Do it max power!" Serena brought her hand out.

Wasabi charged up a lot of power from her tail and cheeks. Sparks flew wildly around her. The sparks turned violet. Then, with all her might, Wasabi shot her massively charged Thunder at the stuck Rock type. Lupus screamed in agony as he took the electric type attack directly. Eventually, he couldn't take any more. The Lycanroc fell off of the wall with swiggly eyes, defeated.

Serena widened her eyes in shock. Then, she chirped in excitement. Without thinking, she went in and hugged Wasabi tightly. Wasabi didn't know what to make of the sudden contact. She laughed modestly and rubbed the top of her head slightly with her tail in slight embarrassment.

With Lupus defeated, Serena took the opportunity to take the crystal he was guarding. She put it in her bag. Seeing Lupus like this made Serena feel uneasy. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't leave a Pokémon like that. The girl looked around for Mew and asked her for her help. The primordial nodded.

Mew promptly healed Lupus. Lupus stretched himself out upon being healed. Then, he looked at Serena. Serena gulped and looked away. That Pokémon's eyes were too unnerving for her to look at directly. When she looked at him again, she noticed his expression was a lot more approving and he was giving her a thumb's up.

 **"** **Best of luck in the rest of the trial, girl. I respect strength… and you showed that. Lupa and Lucy are in for a treat, hahahaha!"** With that, Lupus ran off to find his trainer. Serena smiled at the change in heart. Her resolve grew even stronger.

* * *

 **A/N: Ash's words really got through to Serena, huh?** **It's good to be able to persevere through adversity, after all~**

 **I wonder if anyone guessed Lycanroc as the Pokemon used in the trial. Based on each form and how they approach battles in the anime, it seemed like a perfect fit. Which version of Lycanroc will Serena find next? Find out in the next chapter...**

 **Next Chapter: Fleet Footed Folly**

 **~SPG123~**


	12. Fleet-Footed Folly

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! Welcome to the second portion of Alice's trial. What will happen?**

 **To one of my reviewers that requested that I release my chapters faster (since I do agree that once in a fortnight is a while), I usually finish a new chapter between the two weeks I put out a chapter online. It's to pace myself so I don't go on a long hiatus. However, would a good compromise be to release a preview of the next chapter online a week after the most recent chapter? Then, I release the full chapter a week after the preview. Let me know how everyone feels about this. I wouldn't mind at all.**

 **I hope you will enjoy the chapter!**

 ***Obligatory disclaimer about this story idea being mine and Pokemon being owned by Nintendo here.***

* * *

 _You pity the fool because you don't want to beat up a fool! You know, pity is between sorry and mercy. See, if you pity him, you know, you won't have to beat him up. So that's why I say fools, you gotta give another chance because they don't know no better. That's why I pity them! -Mr. T_

* * *

Chapter 11: Fleet-Footed Folly

As Serena continued to traverse the cave, she was beginning to learn the layout much better than before. She had no idea how much time she had left, but she knew she couldn't get complacent. For all she knew, she could find the next crystal several hours from now. Though that frightened her, Serena decided not to focus on the worst possible scenario. She wondered how the other two guardians were like and decided to ask Wasabi since she seemed to have a lot of experience in everything. Wasabi smiled at the initiative from the young psychic guardian.

 **"Alice's Lycanroc is the Alolan midday version and is the fastest of the three. Lupa's signature move is Accelrock… which is a Rock type version of Quick Attack. Aurora's Lycanroc is the dawn version."** Wasabi started.

"Dawn version?" Serena said with confusion. She knew that Lycanrocs were from Alola, but she never heard of a dawn one before. Wasabi nodded her head to confirm.

 **"In Alola, there are known three forms of Lycanroc: midnight, midday and dusk. The fourth form happens when a Lycanroc's previous form, a Rockruff with Oblivious, evolves early in the morning. It is identical to the dusk version in terms of abilities and stats. The main difference is fur and eye color."** Wasabi continued.

"What's Lucy's main strategy?" Serena asked.

 **"Lucy combines the best aspects of Lupus's and Lupa's styles. She can use Accelrock and Mirror Coat instead of Counter. Out of the two of them, Lucy is the most likely one to give you trouble... if she took Alice's orders seriously."** Wasabi explained.

"What makes you say that?" Serena was confused about the last part with Lucy.

 **"Lucy is terrifying when she's being serious. She's quite the effective hunter. I sincerely hope that she didn't take Alice's orders to heart… otherwise, I'm going to have a hard time defending you from her."** Wasabi said with a hopeful voice. Serena was afraid to meet Lucy, so she decided to think about the other Lycanroc.

"What about Lupa?" Serena inquired.

 **"Lupa isn't nearly as strong as Lucy, but she's the most likely one to try to kill you as she is Alice's guardian partner. She feels her trainer's conviction so much more closely than any other partner she has by being her Aspect of Loyalty. Hopefully, we find can Lupa first so you can adapt to both styles with Lucy."** Wasabi finished.

"Is there a way that you can find a specific one? Like… do you know their scent? I can't tell them apart." Serena inquired.

 **"I know Lucy's only."** Wasabi said sadly. She wished she could help out more. Serena took a moment to think, then snapped her fingers.

"Hmm… how about I sense where the other crystals are? Then, based on my description and location, you can pinpoint which one is being guarded by which Lycanroc by sniffing for Lucy." Serena suggested.

 **"Sweet and smart… Ash really has found a good one."** Wasabi chuckled with her tail wagging. Serena immediately blushed in response. Wasabi nodded and said, **"I'll be happy to help!"**

Serena closed her eyes and concentrated. They were in the upper reaches of the cave before they reached the apex of the tree. She sensed two crystals below them and a third one in the middle of the labyrinth. However, it was hard to explain where the two crystals below them were exactly because Serena didn't know the cave system well enough. However, Serena figured that whatever crystal wasn't near a life force was most likely a trap set by Alice.

The psychic guardian concentrated deeper. She tried to sense life near the lifeless crystals. After several minutes of concentrating, she found two. The first life force near a crystal was in the middle of the labyrinth. The second life force was very close to the faux crystal. Serena deduced the fake crystal was placed there to alert whatever Lycanroc near it to find out what caused an explosion. Serena told Wasabi her discovery.

Wasabi nodded and immediately began to sniff the ground. The mouse gestured Serena to follow her. The girl complied. Curious to see what would happen next, Mew followed them.

Wasabi decided the fastest way to go down would be to take Mew's circulatory system again. Creeped out, Serena refused at first… until Mew reminded her that it was late afternoon and that she needed to get a move on. Sighing, Serena swallowed her disgusted feeling and traveled the gelatinous blobs down the cave system.

They kept going down until they reached the floor one of the Lycanrocs were on. They got out of the weird elevator to the new floor in the cave. There, Serena asked, "This is the floor Lucy is on?"

 **"Yep. We're very close to the middle of the labyrinth, actually. Where are the other two crystals?"**

"They're also on this floor, but they feel very far from here… like the furthest from the middle we can get. Wasabi, do you know the fastest way to a clearing that is the furthest from the middle, but on the same floor?" Serena asked. Wasabi took a moment to think about the layout of the cave. Then, she got an idea of what way was the fastest, but she wasn't sure if Serena could get there and back in time.

 **"With how this cave is, you might need to go down in order to go back up to what you're talking about. Since it's late afternoon, I'm going to increase my pace by quite a bit so you can finish on time. Can you keep up with me?"** Wasabi requested.

"I'll try my best to." Serena responded. A lightbulb went off in Mew's head.

 **"Another crash course is a splendid idea, Wasabi!"** Mew chirped. Wasabi blinked her eyes in surprise. She wasn't sure what Mew was getting at. Mew relayed, **"Serena, you've seen how Ash can tap into his aura to become super speedy sometimes?"**

"Yes…?" Serena was confused by the question. Surely, she didn't mean…?

 **"You can do the same, but to a lesser degree. Tap into your guardian side and speed yourself up!"** Mew chirped.

"I don't know how to do that." Serena admitted.

 **"Hmm… perhaps you need a motivator? I can be of service, then."** Mew said with a devious grin. Her body started to change shape. She got significantly taller and furrier. Serena noticed Mew gaining a lot of ear fur and she held a stick that was lit with yellowish-orange flames. She had a long fluffy yellow tail. Serena was now standing before a splitting image of Delphox. The grin Mew had made her almost not look like Delphox.

"M-Mew? Wh-what are you planning?" Serena stuttered anxiously.

 **"I'm forcing you to run for your life,"** Mew said plainly. Serena shivered at how much she sounded like Delphox, too. If she wasn't paying attention, she would have thought this was Delphox.

"What?!" Serena said with shock.

 **"When Ash had his survival trial with me, I transformed into Greninja and got him into a situation where he was forced to use his aura to escape me, otherwise he would get injured. Doing the same to you might yield a similar result…"** Mew suggested.

"Uh… I'm not like him at all. I can't do-" Serena scrambled to convince Mew otherwise, but the legendary seemed too fixated on her idea. The primordial Pokémon interrupted her.

 **"'Can't' shouldn't be in your lexicon, dear. Ready to run? You don't have a choice in the matter."** Mew said while barring out her fangs.

Serena gulped when Mew barely missed her Flamethrower. The girl knew it was a warning and decided to get a move on. Wasabi sighed and gestured Serena to try her best. The mouse started to speed through the cave. Serena scrambled to catch up. Meanwhile, Mew was following Serena's every step. Any sign of slowing down would result in a fiery "lesson".

* * *

Wasabi was a speedy Pokémon. Serena had no idea how slow they went before now that they were hurrying through the cave more briskly. Serena had a hard time keeping up with her. Part of the girl wished Wasabi was larger so she could just ride her in the cave like Ash could ride on his Charizard.

Serena was thankful that despite not knowing how to tap into her aura effectively, Raven helped her with her pacing over the last two weeks. Before, she had a hard time keeping up with anything that was too fast, but her pacing increased as Raven had her run through parts of the Tree. The girl was grateful that Raven was also willing to do it with her instead of telling her where she had to go to. In some ways, she imagined Raven as her mom away from home… and she felt grateful for her.

Still, Serena didn't want to get too distracted. She wasn't on good terms with her actual mother at the moment.

Mew was watching Serena and Wasabi carefully. The primordial knew Wasabi wasn't running nearly as fast as she could be because she was accommodating for Serena's novice status. As a result, Mew couldn't force Serena any faster than she was going because she would unnecessarily hit Wasabi. Mew was aware of how important it was that Wasabi had a decent amount of energy for Serena to finish this trial. She always liked messing around with her Ketchums to see how they reacted, so she was a bit disappointed. The primordial closed her eyes for a moment upon thinking that.

Mew could see this girl as one of her Ketchums one day.

Serena showed a willingness to improve and loyalty to her love interest that Mew looked for in a potential mate for a Ketchum. Most people would have left if they were in her shoes by now. Mew couldn't help but look at Serena with a significantly more approving look than earlier today. Despite appearing as Delphox to intimidate Serena into keeping up a decent pace, she decided not to follow through with her threat to attack her.

After about thirty minutes of running, Serena was beginning to get tired and her pace was slowing down. Wasabi took notice and began to slow down with her, but they were beginning to go back up to the middlemost floor again. Mew noticed this as well. Instead of attacking with Flamethrower like she would have, Mew decided to transform into a Pangoro to lift her up and carry her bridal style. Serena cried in surprise at first, wondering where this Pangoro came from… until she realized the Delphox behind her was gone.

"Mew?" Serena said her name like a question to make sure this was the same mischievous transforming psychic type that was accompanying her. When she heard telepathy, she got her answer.

 **"We're almost to where Lupa is. Rest up for your upcoming fight, alright?"** Mew told her. Although the girl wondered where the sudden change in attitude came from, she appreciated it.

"Well, thank you for this. Does this mean Pancham will evolve at some point?" Serena said curiously. The transformed psychic type chuckled.

 **"You would only need a dark type near you, but Pancham himself has decent potential in his base form. It's really up to you, but the potential for it to happen is always there. Enjoy the ride for now."** Mew said to Serena. Mew then called out to Wasabi, **"Wasabi, don't hold yourself back as much! I'll be able to keep pace with you."**

 **"Got it!"** Wasabi looked back and noticed Mew holding Serena while running at her current pace. Upon seeing that, Wasabi moved significantly faster than before. Serena could barely see the mouse. Mew started to pick up her pace. Serena never imagined that she could move as fast as Mew was right then.

 **"Serena… I want you to experience the speed of a master psychic guardian partner. This will be your partner's maximum potential in this form."** Mew's body began to glow an eerily similar color to Serena's aura.

Wordlessly, Mew guided the girl into using her aura to augment her transformed state. Serena noticed that she was breathing at the same rate as the Pangoro. One might even say that her heart was beating at the same rate as the Pangoro. At this point, Serena noticed that she was surrounded in aura herself, but she wasn't actively creating it. The feeling she had, though foreign, felt amazing.

The transformed Pokémon also began to have a more altered appearance that made her look a little more like Serena, despite appearing tall and brutish. The black flaps of fur that normally covered the Pangoro's eyes were gone and revealed bright wide black eyes resembling how they look as a Pancham. The Pangoro's fur also appeared to resemble Serena's blouse and shorts as well. Serena never imagined seeing the niceness in a Pangoro's eyes.

Serena remembered Ash mentioning having this feeling with a transformed Greninja in his coma trial where Mew called it Bond Phenomena. He later found out from Aurora that many people in the Hokori region called it Synchro Evolution. She began to wonder if she could do this with her other two Pokémon. Serena also wondered why Mew was showcasing this to her now of all times. Serena was excited for the future if she could replicate the feeling she was having with Mew with Pancham someday.

Every step Mew took, Serena also felt like she took it. Even down to her very breath. It felt weird to feel this way and Serena wasn't sure how long it would last. Her question was answered when she noticed Wasabi come to a stop.

Serena realized they had reached the clearing of the second crystal's guardian. Wasabi was scowling with electricity forming at her cheeks. Scowling back at her was a light brown quadruped canine Pokémon with sharp blue eyes. Unlike the first guardian, she had a long bushy white tail, greyish brown fur, and four rocks protruding from her neck. Serena noticed the pink crystal right behind her and concluded she wouldn't be able to retrieve it fast enough without battling. True to how Wasabi described her, Lupa appeared lithe and fast. Serena began to think about how she could counter her.

Mew suddenly transformed back into her pixie form after letting Serena down. Serena had an odd feeling of loss when Mew returned to her usual state. The girl felt disappointed, but couldn't figure out why. Mew floated high up to watch everything closely. Serena nodded to herself and knew not to expect any help from Mew from this point onward. Still, she was appreciative of the ride.

 **"I don't want to fight you, Wasabi, but I will do what I must for my Mistress.** **If she wants me to kill the psychic guardian, then so be it."** Lupa said with a serious tone. She seemed very reluctant, but it was clear her loyalty for Alice was very high. Wasabi frowned and expected as much. The mouse wasn't moving from her spot, though. Lupa sighed and continued, **"If you get in my way of my Mistress's order, I'll… have to knock you out."**

 **"I don't care what Alice ordered you to do. My Mistress…"** Wasabi snorted to herself and shook her head. The Raichu couldn't bring herself to call Aurora 'Mistress' seriously. She corrected herself with a slightly snide tone, **"Well, my friend… told me and all her other friends not to attack Serena about a week ago. I'm going to assume she also meant not to let other Pokémon attack her, too. So… you're gonna have to disappoint Alice here."**

 **"We'll see if your words hold weight."** Lupa looked down with saddened eyes. When she brought back up her head, the Lycanroc glared at the Raichu and bared her fangs out. She suddenly was shrouded in a light blue aura. Her sky-blue eyes were glowing menacingly. She snarled at both Serena and Wasabi, **"Brace yourselves. Hold nothing back!"**

Within that same instant, Lupa disappeared from sight. Without warning, Serena was scratched on her cheek by the speedy Lycanroc from her Accelrock attack. Serena winced at the sudden sharp pain and hovered her hand on her cut. Serena had felt like a sharp rock sliced through her. She gasped in horror when she noticed she was beginning to bleed. Her heart began to pound hard within her chest.

Lupa once again lunged at Serena, causing minor cuts and scratches all over her body, Serena hissed in pain every time. Wasabi tried her hardest to intercept Lupa every time she lunged at Serena, but the wolf-like Pokémon was tricky in her movements. Every time Wasabi tried to intervene, Lupa used Double Team to make her movement more unpredictable and avoid her.

With Lupus, he seemed more focused on showing Wasabi up than killing Serena. Seeing a Pokémon gnarling at her with vicious eyes made her remember than her life was in danger because of Ash's grandmother. Wasabi hissed upon seeing that. Lupa didn't give either of them time to process that as she once again lunged at Serena. This time, the canine-like Pokémon aimed to bite Serena's leg to make it hard to walk.

Serena was terrified, but she didn't freeze. She felt her anger rising up thinking about the situation Ash's grandparents put her in. Serena forgot her fear and focused on her anger. Then, her eyes got cold. If this Lycanroc wanted to kill her, she wasn't going to stand around like a sitting Psyduck.

With her eyes glowing pink, Serena lifted Lupa up in her hybrid grip. The Lycanroc gasped at being trapped. Wasabi gasped in surprise when the girl knocked the Lycanroc hard into the wall. The mouse grew slightly unsettled at the harsh temperament in her eyes. They didn't resemble the girl she saw earlier. They resembled someone far more dangerous.

Wasabi lowered her ears slightly in sadness, then shook it off. She was determined to bring the girl she saw earlier back.

When Lupa got off the wall, she once again lunged toward Serena. Wasabi noticed Lupa was actively trying to avoid fighting her. The mouse frowned upon the realization and decided to be a bit more forceful. When Lupa when in to scratch Serena again, the mouse-like Pokémon jumped directly in front of Serena intercepted it herself. Wasabi winced in pain at being cut. Lupa seemed sad upon hitting Wasabi. Seeing that made Serena go back to normal and look at Wasabi in concern.

Wasabi was glad to see the kindness in Serena's eyes again. She shook off the hit and laughed lightly. She said in an apologetic tone, **"Forgive me for my deviation of your command. I felt it necessary to protect you. Are you alright?"**

"I'm okay." Serena said. She was annoyed that her clothes were ruined, but thankful the scratches weren't too severe. She could already feel herself healing them off. Wasabi sighed with relief and focused her attention on Lupa.

 **"Lupa, stop this…"** Wasabi hissed.

 **"You are not my target, Wasabi. Stay out of something that doesn't involve you! It will be over quickly… and then we can move on from this madness."** The Lycanroc responded. Wasabi shook her head.

 **"You know as well as I that this isn't right!"** Wasabi retorted.

 **"Alice is protecting her grandson from someone that can someday hurt him. I would think you'd understand after seeing Delilah."** Lupa argued. Wasabi could tell the Lycanroc didn't believe her own words. She sounded like she was reciting something Alice said to her. The electric type frowned.

 **"Delilah may be an unfortunate case, but Serena hasn't done anything wrong to be compared to her! She has been the sweetest thing. I don't know why Alice is so stubborn opening up to her if she hasn't acted like Delilah! The girl even offered to help heal Gordo after his brutality."** Wasabi revealed to her.

 **"…"** Lupa didn't know how to reply.

 **"This fight is pointless. I'm not going to let you touch Serena again and I'm willing to knock you out just as much as you with me if you touch her again."** Wasabi started to form electricity on her cheeks in warning. Lupa sighed.

 **"I'm sorry, Wasabi. I acknowledge what you say to be valid. I don't want to kill the girl, but I feel the need to fulfil the order. I don't have a choice in this matter."** Lupa said sadly. Wasabi wasn't surprised at the response. However, she wondered if there was such a thing as too much devotion. She tried to convince Lupa to change her mind.

 **"You have a choice, though. You can choose to disobey if you don't agree with it. You know Alice isn't a constricting trainer. She'd support anything you do."** Wasabi reminded her. Lupa shook her head sadly.

 **"I cannot disobey my Mistress. It's against my character. I only wish you and Aurora will forgive me afterwards…"** Lupa closed her eyes in sorrow temporarily before opening them with a sharp look. Serena immediately became wary of the sudden change. Upon the Lycanroc making a step towards her, she knew had to react.

This time, Lupa decided to go for Serena's throat. The psychic guardian reacted by surrounding the wolf in her aura. Serena didn't know how to feel about Lupa, but she felt sorry for her in an odd way. She didn't hold Lupa's actions against her, though she was still not fond of being someone's target. Tapping into that emotion allowed her to move Lupa without anger. Serena looked at Lupa firmly.

Lupa could feel Serena's emotions behind her aura grip. Lupa lowered her ears as she felt Serena's reluctance to fight her. It made her even more conflicted than before. Although the Lycanroc was conflicted, she would not rest until her duty was fulfilled. Upon feeling the Lycanroc's conviction, Serena decided now was the right time to detain her.

"Wasabi, use Electroweb!" Serena commanded.

The mouse nodded. Rubbing her paws together, Wasabi created a web of pure electrical energy and shot it at the Rock type. Lupa hissed as Wasabi aimed her attack to make Lupa trapped on the wall. Lupa tried furiously to escape, even trying to bite through the electric web, but it was for naught. Wasabi shook her head at the sight.

After several moments of trying, Lupa grew tired of trying and resigned to herself. Serena sighed in sadness. She decided to try to get through to the Lycanroc again.

"I don't want to have to knock you out, Lupa. If I let you go, will you leave us be?" Serena asked. Lupa immediately shook her head.

 **"I'll be honest with you, human. No. I wouldn't. I will try with every last muscle in my body to kill you. I am sorry things have to be this way. It truly is a shame you remind me much of Alison's daughter.** **Part of me feels like she sent me to kill her instead."** Lupa said with melancholy.

"I remind you of Mrs. Aurora?" Serena blinked her eyes in surprise.

 **"Yes. The way your eyes change emotions reminds me of her, but you are more distinct in that you can channel your power through emotion or lack thereof. She also isn't quick to fight. The similarities are startling."** Lupa admitted.

"Lupa, is there any way I can convince you to disobey Ms. Alice especially when you know in your heart that this isn't right?" Serena tried once again.

 **"Never. I will commit to anything she tells me… no matter how much I disagree with it. The only way I'd change my mind is if Alison herself gave the order."** Lupa said with finality.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this, then. I don't have much time left. I'll try to get Ms. Alice to get you as soon as I can." Serena closed her eyes in thought and began to walk away from the trapped rock type. Before she walked away, she picked up the second crystal and put it in her bag. Wasabi quickly followed. Serena made sure that the Lycanroc wouldn't be able to see or hear them.

 **"What are you thinking?"** Wasabi murmured.

"I… I don't want to leave Lupa there on the wall. I also don't want to knock her out. Neither option feels right. I feel like both of those options would give more fuel to Ms. Alice hating me." Serena said with a heavy voice.

 **"I am yours to command. Whatever you decide, I will support you."** Wasabi said. Serena thought to herself for several moments. Then, she nodded to herself.

"Thank you, Wasabi, but I think I don't need your help for this." Serena suddenly approached the neutral floating Mew. Mew looked down at the girl, curious of her intent. Serena gestured the mythical legendary to float down. Mew obliged. Serena then requested, "Can you help me with my idea?"

 **"What is it that you have in mind, my dear?"** Mew questioned the scheming psychic guardian.

"I've seen you do this before, so can you…?" Serena started to whisper her idea to Mew's stubby ears. Mew listened intently, but shook her head. She decided not to disillusion Serena.

 **"Your idea will not work with a Pokémon that has been an Aspect for decades,"** Mew warned.

"I would have asked you to teleport her back to Alice, but I'm afraid of Alice sending her back to attack me. I'm not sure Lupa would be with stealth, so I don't want to take that chance. Can you please try, though? If it does work, everyone will be happy. That's all I want, really." Serena said from the bottom of her heart. Mew looked at the girl with an indescribable expression. Her eyes seemed to shimmer momentarily before going back to normal. Mew then made a relenting sigh.

 **"I suppose I can humor the request, but I will warn you right now to keep on guard,"** Mew said with a serious tone.

"Okay." Serena nodded, happy that Mew was willing to go through her plan. Unbeknownst to the teen, Mew had plans of her own.

 ** _"Wasabi… be prepared to defend Serena the moment you release Lupa. Watch every little movement she does and knock her out swiftly. I want to teach Serena another truth of life through this interaction."_** Wasabi suddenly heard Mew's voice in her head. Although she was confused at the intrusion, she took the primordial Pokémon's words to heart and her guard rose to an all-time high. She knew she wasn't hallucinating.

Mew suddenly transformed into Alice's shape and made her aura nearly identical to Alice's. Mew could take up any form she wanted, but some of her original aura would always be present in her altered form. Mew then made another copy of herself hover near them. Wasabi seemed surprised at the sudden transformation, then understood what Serena was trying to do. The Raichu seemed a bit uneasy.

Serena, Mew and Wasabi walked back to where Lupa was trapped. Lupa has resigned herself to her fate of being stuck and seemed to be trapped within her own thoughts. She opened her eyes in surprise upon seeing her trainer with the very same girl she ordered to kill. The wolf was happy they came back for her, though. She truly thought that they wouldn't come back after what her tried to pull. She made a relieved smile.

 **"Alison!"** Lupa said with a relieved tone.

"Hello, Lupa. I see the girl and Wasabi did a number on you." Mew said in Alice's voice.

 **"The girl was very merciful, just like your daughter. I'm actually surprised she didn't make me faint for what I tried to do. I'm sorry I failed you."** Lupa said in a hung voice.

"You didn't fail me. All I could ask is for you to do your best and you did. Now, I request that you don't harm the girl. She's passed your part."

 **"Of course."** Lupa nodded.

"Wasabi, can you release Lupa so I can heal her? Then, you and Serena will be on your way." Mew said to Wasabi. Wasabi nodded. Lupa narrowed her eyes for a spilt-second before appearing neutral again. Serena didn't notice the change, but Wasabi did. However, for the sake of playing along, she acted like she didn't notice.

Wasabi got into all fours and raised her tail up high. Lupa began to feel an odd sensation as the electricity from the web began to move toward her tail. Serena never saw anything like this before and wondered if Wasabi can change the type of electricity she uses. If she didn't know any better, that electricity was electricity made from aura instead of her own cheek pouch. Considering Wasabi's trainer is one of the best guardians in the world, the girl wouldn't be surprised if Aurora did teach Wasabi something like that.

Upon removing the electricity, Lupa fell on the cave floor with a thud. Serena noticed that Electroweb took a toll on Lupa. She seemed weakened from being shocked by it constantly. Serena hated to see her like this.

 **"I appreciate your kindness, human,"** Lupa said in a grateful tone.

"It's not a problem at all!" Serena said happily. Lupa kept looking down. The Lycanroc sighed, but wasn't budging. The wolf-like Pokémon seemed reluctant to move. Serena took notice and said, "What's the matter? You were lifted of your responsibility."

 **"I wish that was actually true. I appreciate what you tried doing, but you can't trick me with Mew."** Lupa suddenly lunged at Serena. Serena screamed at the abrupt attack. Lupa would have been successful at the surprise attack if Wasabi's reaction wasn't swift and devastating.

The Raichu wasn't about to lose the one thing she strove to protect for today. With a glowing tail, she slammed it into the Lycanroc's neck as hard as she could. Wasabi aimed at a sensitive spot near her neck. Lupa was knocked out instantly, slightly buried into the ground. Serena looked at the Raichu in shock. Wasabi looked away from her in guilt. She curled her tail around herself timidly.

"…!" The interaction happened so quickly that Serena barely had time to comprehend what had happened.

Once the shock disappeared, Serena seemed sad. Although she wasn't surprised that Lupa attempted to carry out her order to the end, she really thought she could let Lupa go and continue onward. Serena only wanted the best for everyone in this situation, but hated how stubborn Lupa was. She thought of herself as foolish for trying to help out the Lycanroc, but she couldn't help but try anyway. Serena only wished things could have ended differently.

Mew transformed herself back into her pixie form and destroyed the copy she had made for Serena's plan. She slowly floated in front of Serena. The girl was dismayed, but she gave her undivided attention. Mew didn't know how to begin, but decided to be blunt.

 **"… Sometimes in life, you need to make harsh choices. Choices that you… don't like. Nature can be cruel enough to show you this truth…"** Mew started.

"I…" Serena didn't know what to say to that.

 **"However, it is with the expectation that you adapt to the consequence of said choice. Be careful in being too trusting. It may come to bite you."** Mew warned her. Serena shook her head in disagreement.

"Mrs. Aurora taught me that everything has some good in it. If you see in someone's eyes that they are suffering, you can try to help them. Lupa really seemed like she didn't want to hurt me when she thought you were Alice." Serena said. Mew shook her head.

 **"It was obvious Lupa was fully aware of your trick to get herself out of the Electroweb. Don't be surprised about someone going along with you to get some sort of benefit. The world can corrupt you in the most wicked of ways. I don't agree with that philosophy."** Mew shook her head.

"If she didn't have that philosophy, Raven would be dead right now. Raven is one of the best people I've met so far. Mercy isn't that bad." Serena argued. Mew made a sad smile. Serena noticed it was just like the smile Mirabelle made to her when she didn't understand something.

 **"Mercy isn't always good either. Aurora happened to make the right choice sparing her friend back then, but not all people will change their life around. You'll come to understand in due time, child."** Mew finished.

"I'm not sure if we'll ever see eye to eye on this subject, but at the very least, can you send Lupa back to Ms. Alice? I still don't want to leave her here." Serena requested.

 **"Interesting…"** Mew closed her eyes in thought for a slight moment. Then she opened her eyes and said, **"Very well. It should serve as a message to Alice as well."**

With a snap of her fingers, Mew teleported the fainted Lupa back to Alice and Gordo. Serena thanked the primordial Pokémon, but Mew didn't respond verbally. She just shook her head and gestured Serena to continue the trial. Serena frowned slightly and sighed. She knew she had to keep going.

As they began to walk again, Wasabi gestured Mew to come down and talk to her. Noticing the Raichu, Mew floated down to ground level to listen to what she had to say.

 **"(I'm glad you warned me of Lupa beforehand, Mew. Thanks for that.)"** Wasabi said, grateful. Wasabi noticed Mew wasn't enabling her to speak telepathy at the moment. Part of her was happy about this because telepathy was a foreign concept to her. She liked speaking naturally. Mew still seemed to be in her own thoughts.

 **"Hmm…"** Mew said, seemingly disconnected from Wasabi.

 **"(Mew…? Is there something wrong?)"** Wasabi asked upon noticing.

 **"Serena reminds me of how Ash often got into danger when he was smaller without realizing. I often had to step in to influence him not to get hurt. The girl has so much innocence still. To be willing to spare someone that wanted to kill you… can be both a good thing and a bad thing depending on who you spare. She's definitely a good one, but I do wonder if she will stay like she is. Even with my foresight, I cannot tell where her path will end."** Mew admitted.

 **"(What makes you say that?)"** Wasabi wondered.

 **"You noticed it, didn't you? How cold her eyes could get… there was a numbness present that could only get worse when refined. A partial guardian numb to the world is a dangerous one."** Mew stated in a heavy voice.

 **"(Hmm… true.)"** Wasabi agreed.

 **"We have to make sure she stays a good course. If she stays a good course, so will Ash. Let's keep it up, alright, Wasabi?"** Mew confided in the electric type. Wasabi immediately nodded and made a confident grin. The two picked up their pace before Serena noticed.

* * *

 **A/N: Ah... mercy. Too much mercy can get you hurt or walked all over. Too little mercy makes you have little compassion. Where's a good middle line to it? It's often hard to figure that out... and yet we always seek to find the answer.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll see you all in two weeks (or a week depending on if people wants to see a preview or not...).**

 **Next Chapter: A New Dawn, A New Leaf**

 **~SPG123~**


	13. A New Dawn, A New Leaf

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! I'm currently going through finals so forgive me if the quality of writing isn't up to par. I wasn't able to look through this chapter as much as I normally can.**

 **Last time, we saw one of the Lycanrocs legitimately try to harm Serena, but failing due to Wasabi's aid. How will the final Lycanroc fare? Let's find out...**

 ***Insert disclaimer about Pokemon being owned by Game Freak and Nintendo here***

* * *

 _Challenge is the pathway to engagement and progress in our lives. But not all challenges are created equal. Some challenges make us feel alive, engaged, connected, and fulfilled. Others simply overwhelm us. Knowing the difference as you set bigger and bolder challenges for yourself is critical to your sanity, success, and satisfaction. -Brendon Burchard_

* * *

Ash managed to get back to his home after cruising the air with Charizard. He noticed the sun was beginning to set as it was dusk. As he was flying, he saw Gordo seemingly surveilling the tree. Ash was grateful that his grandfather made such an effort to keep everyone safe, but noted that if Gordo was patrolling the tree, Mew was preoccupied. The boy wondered if she was still with Serena and Alice.

His question was somewhat answered when he opened the front door to a pacing Alice in the living room. She seemed to be heavily worried about something.

Ash was about to greet her, but then he noticed she suddenly seemed anxious upon seeing him. Ash tilted his head at this, then eyed her suspiciously. Alice stopped pacing around, but was looking at her grandson with a nervous expression. He wondered what he did to make her act that way.

"Grandma, um, what's up?" Ash asked in a bit of an accusatory voice.

"I would say nothing, but that would be a lie," Alice admitted.

"What's wrong?" Ash said, now concerned.

"I'm… worried about the girl," Alice said while looking away.

"Where is Serena, anyway?" Ash asked with narrowed eyes. He crossed his arms as he looked at his grandmother for an explanation. Alice sighed as she complied.

Alice explained what she and Gordo had Serena do throughout the day. She talked about Gordo's brutality and her shrewdness in creating challenges that would be hard for Serena to deal with. She begrudgingly didn't leave anything out, feeling as though she needed to be completely honest from him to be able to move on. Talking about hers and her husband's actions made her feel awful, but she made her intentions about Serena clear with Ash. Ash listened intently, but the more he listened, the more irritated he was with his grandparents.

Alice sighed when he noticed a blue shroud of aura surrounding Ash to respond to his emotions. She couldn't look at her grandson's direction.

"Grandma, if I find Serena heavily wounded in that cave, I…" Ash closed his eyes for a moment and opened them to reveal his left eye turned red. He said with a clenched fist, "I'm not going finish my thought. Just know I don't think I would be able to control myself…"

"Ash, I…" Alice's thoughts immediately went to Mew's premonition of what would happen if Serena died. For the first time since talking to Ash, she legitimately felt afraid of what her grandson could do. She didn't know what else she could say to him, so she cut herself off.

"I have to find her and make sure she's alright." Ash immediately went outside. Alice quickly followed him to see if she could help if Serena did get hurt.

Once they got outside, but both witnessed a powerful surge of electricity and rocks launched into the sky. Ash seemed puzzled by this while Alice had widened eyes in realization. Then, she relaxed and made a relieving sigh. Meanwhile, Ash grew increasingly concerned.

 **"I don't think you need to search for your betrothed, young master."** A greyish brown canine who had been sitting outside looking up in reflection suddenly called out. In Ash's haste, he didn't realize he had run past her. Now that the Pokémon was with her trainer again, her trainer caused her to speak telepathy without strain subconsciously.

"Who's this Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"This is one of my guardian aspects, Lupa. She's a Lycanroc from Alola and one of the guardians I mentioned that was to kill Serena earlier. Serena teleported Lupa back with full health." Alice quickly told him.

 **"Your mate was quite merciful to me. I do not believe she is deserving of an early grave, but I am loyal to Alison. I will do anything for her, even if I don't agree with it."** Lupa said.

"I'm sorry I had you do something you hated to do, Lupa. I… really am. I never ever want you to feel like that." Alice said with regret in her tone. She had her head down. Saddened by her trainer's behavior, Lupa nuzzled her as an attempt to make her feel better about her actions. It seemed to have no effect.

"Grandma…" Ash watched his grandmother closely and noticed something different about her compared to earlier in the day. His face softened up when he saw her feeling guilty. He would have never thought it was because of Serena before today, either. He still felt slightly irritated with her, but it was much less than before. He made a small smile.

"If I ever tell you something that leaves you morally conflicted again, I want you to argue my word down," Alice said with a heavy voice.

 **"Mistress…"** Lupa said in shock, but Alice interrupted her.

"Don't default to calling me that. You're my friend and I don't want you to feel forced into doing something wrong, alright?" Alice said with a soft tone.

 **"I…"** Lupa seemed conflicted and lost. Alice sighed. The pooch was too loyal for her own good. She decided to take another approach with getting through to Lucy.

"I'm going to order you to argue my word down in the future if you don't agree with it. Don't disobey my orders." Alice said in a stern tone. Lucy perked up her ears at the order and nodded eagerly. Alice made an exasperated sigh and facepalmed at the quick turn around. However, she knew her partner well enough.

 **"Yes, Alison. I will do as you say."** Lucy said while wagging her tail. Alice decided to pet her.

"Ugh… it's at least a start for you to learn to act on your own if necessary." Alice said. Lucy decided to regard Ash again.

 **"Out of us three, Lucy seemed the most indifferent to Alison's request to kill the girl. Lucy said she would only comply if the girl showed any signs of antagonism, and that she would watch the girl closely once encountered. It seems like Lucy concluded Serena to be good since they're outside. I wouldn't be surprised if Lucy decided to have a mock battle with the girl instead of chasing her outside."** Lupa explained and stated her suspicions.

Ash widened his eyes in a new understanding. He still seemed worried. He was happy to sense her aura still active and strong. Her aura appeared much stronger than it was yesterday. Still, that realization wasn't enough to curb his worry.

"Say… how about we search for her once the sun goes down completely. I gave her until nightfall to come back with the three crystals, so if she doesn't come back by then, we will search every nook and cranny for her. At the very least, if we can't find her, we can search for your mother's Raichu, Wasabi. Wasabi has been helping the girl all day, after all." Alice suggested.

Pikachu perked up his ears upon hearing the name 'Wasabi'. He suddenly had a warm feeling of fondness swelling up in him. He hoped that once everything relating to Serena was alright, he could catch up with her. Meanwhile, Ash seemed conflicted about staying put. He had to make sure Serena was alright.

"…" Ash said nothing, but decided to nod to Alice's suggestion. It felt off just staying put, but he couldn't sense Serena in direct danger. If Serena was getting stronger through the trial, he didn't want to interrupt her. He used that thought to help himself relax.

"Ash…" Alice said in a soothing tone.

"I… just want her to be alright," Ash said in a soft tone. He seemed sad. Alice looked concerned at her grandson.

 _"I can't stand to see you like this. I swear I'll make things right."_ Alice thought with conviction. She said aloud, "Let's wait outside for when she's supposed to return, alright? Continue to sense her aura like I know you have been doing. Hopefully, she'll be able to come back here."

The two decided to stand in the front yard and wait for Serena. While they waited, Alice decided to take out a few more of her Pokémon for Ash to interact with in the meantime. She also played into his excitement of Pokémon to distract him from Serena. It worked as Ash immediately started to interact with her partners. Alice looked up at the sky, hoping things will turn out alright.

* * *

 _Earlier in the day..._

As Serena continued through the labyrinth, she was still hung up about Lupa. She hated that Wasabi had to put her down the way she did. She hadn't seen anything as brutal as that since Ash's encounter with Delia. Serena was aware of the danger, but some part of her was hopeful that things would end well as it did for Lupus. She never imagined herself to get into that situation. It made her sad because she felt like all of it could have been avoided.

Serena also couldn't help on reflecting her time in the Ketchum house so far. Ash and Aurora had made things bearable, sometimes even fun with Aurora liking to spice things up at times. Aurora being a former Coordinator helped with that. Ash himself was usually a bit more somber than before he reunited with Aurora, but he was still the sweet and charming guy she fell in love with. She always had to hide a giggle when Aurora embarrassed him or when he was being a bit goofy.

However, Ash's grandparents were a different story. She longed not for their approval, as she already had Aurora's based on how Wasabi and most of her Aspects acted around her. The psychic guardian longed for some more civility. She hoped that once she fought Lucy, she could make a case for herself for them to at least tolerate her better. Serena partially hoped that Ash would be back by then to make things easier, but she doubted it considering his two missing Aspects were in different regions.

Serena sighed upon thinking about Ash. She really hoped to see him soon. She wasn't sure how much of his grandparents' antics she could continue to take. Still, she made it this far. Serena knew she could go all the way. She formed a fist with her left hand with a determined expression. Mew's cat-like eyes slowly wondered toward the girl in observation. Then, she made a small smile to herself as she continued to float right above her.

As they approached the final crystal, Serena noticed a canine-like Pokémon sitting down, staring into the final pink crystal with a bored expression. The Pokémon had midnight blue fur and sharp yellow eyes that were glazed over from boredom. Her eyes reminded the girl of Aurora. Just like the midday version, she had four rocks protruding from white fluffy fur on her neck and a white furry tail. She was also a quadruped and appeared very fast. Just like the midnight version, she had a lone stone coming from the top of her crown of white fur. The shape of her eyes resembled the midnight form a bit more.

Serena could see that she was guarding it, but wasn't sure how to approach. She stopped just outside of the Lycanroc's line of sight to think of a way to not engage. Her concern was soon increased when she saw Wasabi not stopping and putting herself in range. The electric type seemed oddly comfortable. Serena wasn't sure what to do and decided to stay put and see what Wasabi had in mind. The Lycanroc looked up and noticed Wasabi immediately.

 **"Oh hey, Wasabi. It's been like… totally a while!"** The Lycanroc said excitedly. Once again, Mew enabled Serena to understand a Pokémon temporarily via their telepathy. Serena noticed that this Lycanroc's accent was distinct and she had an air about her that didn't seem to take much seriously. Lucy was relieved at seeing another living thing for the first time in hours, though she was confused about speaking telepathy. Wasabi chuckled slightly.

 **"Hello Lucy. You're guarding this crystal, right?"** Wasabi asked. The Lycanroc suddenly looked slightly irritated, but nodded.

 **"Yeah… that's what I was assigned… or something. I think our trainer's parents wanted me to like… guard this crystal and to kill some girl when she came to get it…? Mr. Gordo said she was a major threat… but like… I seriously doubt that."** Lucy said, somewhat disinterested. She then asked the mouse, **"Do you know why Mew is like… causing us to speak with telepathy, but isn't like… revealing herself?"**

When Wasabi didn't immediately answer, the Lycanroc decided to sniff the air for Mew. Instead, she smelled another presence nearby and knew something else was standing nearby Mew. Lucy's eyes suddenly changed to a bloody red and she made a low growl. Serena grew nervous at the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

Wasabi stopped Lupa from approaching Serena and made a relieving gesture. The canine-like Pokémon's eyes turned back to yellow as she tilted her head to the side, somewhat confused. Upon seeing Lupa aware of Serena, Wasabi ran to her and tugged on her to come forward. The girl complied shakily. Mew suddenly started to float right above Serena and made a greeting gesture to the Lycanroc. Lucy's ears perked up upon seeing a human girl here.

Lucy's eyes seemed to sear into Serena's soul as she tried to create a judgment of the girl. Serena looked terrified at the Lycanroc just staring at her.

The Lycanroc then lightened up. She said with renewed vigor in her tone, **"Oh, I see! You must be that girl! Wasabi has to like be protecting you and stuff… or am I tripping?"**

"Um…" Serena didn't know how to respond. Luckily for her, Lucy didn't seem too interested in posing a danger to her.

 **"Eh… it doesn't matter. I'm not into the killing biz unless I'm dealing with an _actual_ threat. Besides, Mistress Aurora has like… taken a liking to the young master's girlfriend. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't react too well if I did something to her. I'm assuming you are his girlfriend since I've never seen you before two weeks ago and I've lived here for years." **Lucy said. The wolf was more observant than Serena thought.

"Yes, I am his girlfriend. I'm trying to earn my place into the family." Serena confirmed. Lucy sniffed Serena's shoes and knees. Then, she nodded to herself.

 **"Cool. That's enough for me to disobey her parents. They're always like sooooo grody when talking about someone that's a psychic… or I guess in your case, someone that's partially psychic. Go ahead and take the crystal."** Lucy rolled the crystal to Serena's feet. The honey blond girl was surprised. Lucy made a comforting smile.

"We… can have your crystal?" Serena was in disbelief of how easily she was willing to give it up, especially after dealing with Lupa.

 **"Sure. It's not like I care."** Lucy shrugged. Serena picked it up. She now had all three in her possession. She felt happy that all of this was over.

"Wow… that was easy. Aren't you supposed to fight me?" Serena reminded.

 **"I mean… I can totally fight you if you want me to."** Lucy said. Serena could tell she was excited because she was trying to hide her tail wagging. Serena chuckled at the sight.

"Depends on how much time we have left. Mew, do you know what time it is?" Serena asked the floating psychic type.

 **"It's early evening. You should have enough time if this is a sparring match and we travel outside before we do. I can stop you two when it gets to a certain point."** Mew offered. Serena nodded.

"That would be nice. I do want to learn how to be a better trainer, so it would be nice to learn and battle without stress today." Serena decided. Lucy got into an excitable stance with her tail wagging wildly.

 **"Alrighty then. One serious but not really battle coming right up. I'll try my best to help you learn… I guess."** Lucy said after calming herself down a bit. Serena seemed to have gotten a bit more comfortable interacting with this Lycanroc because of how nice she was. Serena petted her and rubbed behind her ear. Lucy seemed to enjoy the contact because she murmured, **"I really like you, girl. Give me more rubs…"**

 **"Serena… despite how nonchalant Lucy is, she's definitely given me trouble in sparring matches before. You'll know what I mean soon."** Wasabi warned. Serena nodded.

"Mew, can you get and destroy the last crystal now that I have all three? I don't want any Pokémon to find it and get hurt." Serena requested the mythical psychic type. Mew laughed, but nodded.

 **"I was planning on doing that, actually. You found the three stable crystals already so I see no need for you to find extras. Good on you for being concerned about the Tree's Pokémon. I'll meet you outside."** Mew teleported away before Serena could thank her. That had been a nagging feeling in her mind all day so Serena was glad it could be put at ease.

 **"If you want to like… leave this dull place, follow me. I know a shortcut."** Lucy gestured Serena to follow her. Although Serena was feeling weary of Lucy due to Lupa, but decided to go along with it upon seeing how Wasabi was like around Lucy. She figured if the Raichu felt comfortable around this Lycanroc, so could she. Besides, this Lycanroc was already ten times better than the other two by virtue of not trying to pick a fight right away.

* * *

Lucy led Serena and Wasabi out of the crystal caves toward Aurora's house in record time. Lucy seemed to know the cave labyrinth better than Wasabi. Serena wondered if that was because Lucy was a rock type and rock types tended to like caves. Based on how Lucy seemed to be bored while in the cave, Serena doubted that was the reason. The girl wondered if Aurora often took Wasabi out more than Lucy. Serena began to wonder how many Pokémon Aurora caught in her journey.

Serena took notice of the sky. The sun was beginning to show signs of setting, but the sky wasn't quite orange. Serena was happy that this was almost over. She had a strong sense to finish this.

Serena noticed how eager Lucy was. Lucy's tail was wagging heavily while she led the group through the cave. She seemed so different than the other two Lycanrocs, but she knew looks could be deceiving. Ash's Pikachu was a good example of a Pokémon that didn't seem too powerful and was very friendly, but when battling, he was terrifying to fight against.

Lucy eventually led Serena an open field, the same field Alice and Gordon had fought in earlier. Mew was floating in the middle of the field, waiting for them. Her expression perked up when they finally arrived. Lucy stood at the other side of Serena and Wasabi, poised to battle. She made a toothless grin. Her yellow eyes, though excited, seemed to be more analyzing than before.

Wasabi stood right in front of Serena on her hind legs with her arms on her stomach. She was smiling at her opponent. It felt nice to see no malice between a Lycanroc and Wasabi for once. Mew floated in the middle of the field. She looked at both Pokémon participating in the battle and nodded at both of them. Wasabi and Lucy responded in response. Mew brought her paw up and then brought her paw down to signal the battle to begin. She then teleported out of the way.

The moment Mew moved out of the way, Lucy's excited yellow eyes turned into a dangerous red. Her smile was gone and she was making a slight, but serious frown. Serena gulped at the sudden change.

Lucy immediately made multiple copies of herself and surrounded them around Wasabi. Wasabi looked to Serena for a command. Serena said, "Wasabi use Thunderbolt on all the copies!"

With cheeks crackling with blue electricity, Wasabi shot a powerful line of electricity at all the Lycanroc copies. Serena noted that Wasabi will change the intensity of her electricity depending on who she fought against and also made the conclusion that Lucy could take her weakened electric attacks better than most.

Wasabi's aim was precise. Each copy was destroyed instantly. However, as the copies were getting destroyed all of them were smiling and glowing white. She still looked like she was taking damage despite glowing. Serena wondered what the glow was and then remembered what Wasabi had told her about each Lycanroc.

 _"Uh-oh… Mirror Coat…"_ Serena thought. If she could take back her command, she would.

As the final copy was destroyed, the real Lucy took the Thunderbolt with a grin. She then broke out of her attack and immediately counterattacked with a strong white light. Wasabi hissed at getting stuck directly by Lucy's Mirror Coat. Wasabi was still feeling a bit weak from her earlier engagements with Lupa and Lupus, so she didn't take Lucy's counterattack as well she normally could.

Lucy didn't give Wasabi a chance to breathe as she approached Wasabi with her body glowing white as a breakneck pace. Serena recognized the attack as Accelrock. Serena thought, _"Since Lucy will counter any special move Wasabi does, let's fight back with some physical moves!"_

Before Serena could finish her thought, Lucy already hit Wasabi with her move. Wasabi winced in slight pain after being hit with the Rock type version of Quick Attack. Serena thought in shock, _"Geez, she's fast!"_

"Wasabi, knock her back with Iron Tail!" Serena said in retaliation.

Wasabi nodded and made her tail glow a steely grey. Lucy reacted extraordinarily quickly. Before Wasabi could land the steel type move, Lucy used Double Team to make it hard for Wasabi to hit the right one. Wasabi swung her tail and made each copy disappear. However, only the real one remained. With a yell, Wasabi swung her tail at the Rock type, but Lucy was much too quick. Dodging effortlessly, Lucy retaliated with a fiery bite. Wasabi hissed when she was bitten by Fire Fang. Serena sucked her teeth and thought about her options.

Seeing how adaptable Lucy was made Serena impressed with the canine, but also thankful she had no intention of killing her. However, she wasn't sure how to attack all the copies without using a special attack. Lucy decided to patiently wait to see what Serena would decide. It was clear to her that the girl had little battle experience, so she didn't want to push her. Wasabi looked back at the girl and wondered why she wasn't saying anything. The mouse realized she was thinking instead. She decided to give some advice.

 **"Serena… when Lucy's eyes are red, her power and speed are heightened. This is also true for a dusk form Lycanroc. You'll have to react faster to her attacks so I'm not overwhelmed by them! Try and think outside the box in approaching her!"** Wasabi told her.

"Think outside the box? I'm not Ash! I can't think of wacky strategies like him!" Serena said with a sigh.

 **"You did this in the cave and you're doing it now. Serena… stop comparing yourself to Ash."** Mew suddenly called out.

"Mew?" Serena blinked her eyes in response at the pixie saying something to her during an active battle.

 **"You're right. You're not him. However, you still are just as capable."** Mew said with a strong voice. Serena was stunned at seeing the psychic type's confidence in her. Mew continued, **"Think a bit… and use your observational skills. You might adapt to Lucy this way…"**

Serena thought about both Wasabi's and Mew's words. She then looked at Lucy. Lucy was also giving her an encouraging smile. She made her eyes turn back to yellow and wagged her tail slightly when she made eye contact with the girl. Serena chuckled at the sight.

The psychic guardian tried to think about how to overcome Lucy's Double Team fast enough to where Wasabi was able to hit her without getting counterattacked by Mirror Coat. She looked around the field to see something she could use. She noticed how flat the grassland was and wondered if she could alter that somewhat to give herself an advantage. Serena smirked as she got an idea.

Mew saw a change in Serena's demeanor and nodded in approval. She couldn't wait to see what she came up with. Lucy also noticed a change, but got into a battle stance in response. Serena noticed that Lucy didn't change her eyes back to red to power herself up. Lucy took after her trainer in more ways than she realized.

Serena commanded, "Wasabi use Thunderbolt!"

Wasabi was surprised she would make that command considering what happened before, but nevertheless did what she wanted. As Wasabi prepared her attack, Lucy's body began to glow white. Serena made an uncharacteristic smirk when she saw that. Serena brought out her hand and said, "Aim for the ground!"

Wasabi smiled and carried out her temporary trainer's order. Wasabi launched her electrical blast toward the ground. The electricity spiraled into the air wildly, but also caused dust to form between Wasabi and Lucy. Lucy's body stopped glowing white in surprise. Wasabi started to run toward Lucy in the midst of the confusion. Serena took advantage of this by saying, "Now use Iron Tail!"

With a loud cry, Wasabi made her tail glow a steely grey. She smirked as she landed a direct hit on the Lycanroc. Lucy hissed in pain, but didn't yield. As she was struck, Lucy's eyes turned red and she showed a ferocity Serena hadn't witnessed in her yet. Despite getting hit, she pushed Wasabi back and retaliated with a Fire Fang. Wasabi winced at the attack.

Serena was stunned witnessing that. Lucy clearly took damage from the Iron Tail as she was beginning to pant, but she didn't expect the wolf-like Pokémon to still be fast enough to retaliate. She decided to try and do something about that. She noticed that Wasabi was also beginning to pant.

Serena called out, "Wasabi, are you doing okay?"

 **"Of course. It'll take more than a few bites to take me down."** Wasabi said reassuringly.

"Good. Can you use Electroweb then?" Serena requested. Wasabi rubbed her paws against her cheek and launched an electrical web of energy. Lucy narrowed her eyes and seemed to gain a twinkle in them. Mew noticed and wondered what the Lycanroc was planning.

 ** _"You've shown me enough, human. Let's see how you handle this…"_** Lucy thought to herself.

Lucy's eyes turned back to yellow. Using her quick reaction speed, she not only dodged Wasabi's Electroweb, but she also moved past Wasabi. Within a blink of an eye, Lucy lunged for Serena. Serena wailed in surprise when she was knocked on the ground by Lucy. Lucy had her locked in her paws and she looked ready to bite into her neck. However, Lucy held her mouth open instead. It happened so fast that Serena's heart was beating out of her chest, but she didn't dare move. Serena could practically feel Lucy's sharp teeth grazing her neck. When Lucy didn't do anything else but stare into her, Serena relaxed.

Wasabi gasped in horror upon Lucy zipping past her. Lucy had her mouth open near Serena's neck. Serena could literally feel the canine's breath mere centimeters from her. With one bite, she could break her neck in two. Despite seeing this, she knew that if Lucy wanted to bite, she would have already. The mouse made a sigh of relief.

 **"If I like… seriously wanted to kill you, gaining your trust and attacking you with both yours and your Pokemon's guard down would be the best way, like just now. Don't worry… I don't see a reason to kill you. It's a good thing… you're a nice girl…"** Lucy's yellow eyes seem to sear into Serena's soul for a split second. For that moment, Serena saw a glimpse of how Lucy was like when she was seriously following an order. The girl gulped and got the message. Then, Lucy got off Serena and sat up. Her eyes turned much more amicable. Her tail started to wag when the girl got up. She chuckled slightly, **"Didn't see that coming, did ya?"**

"You scared me half to death!" Serena said, slightly upset.

 **"That was the intention. I'm glad you didn't panic when your neck was so close to my jaw."** When Lucy spoke this time, her earlier accent was gone and her tone carried out to be much more like Aurora's. Serena gasped at the difference.

"Huh?" Serena blinked her eyes at the odd compliment.

 **"You gave me the impression of someone not battle hardened. I figured giving you a bit of a scare would help me see into your instincts in a stressful situation… and most importantly who you are at your core. You're calm at your core, but you may freeze up."** Lucy said, giving her impression of the girl.

 **"…"** Serena didn't know how to respond to the Pokémon, but she knew her words rang true. Lucy was much more insightful than she appeared.

 **"Work on your reactions a bit more. I noticed even when commanding Wasabi, you didn't react in time to my Accelrock or Double Team. Despite that, you did find a way to halt me in my tracks temporarily… and let me tell you how hard that is normally. Nice adaptation."** Lucy said with an approving smile. Serena made a bashful smile back.

 **"She's not wrong. I'm sure she only hit me back with Fire Fang because this battle wasn't too serious."** Wasabi chimed in with a laugh. Lucy confirmed this with a nod. Lucy turned to Serena again.

 **"I know you've recently started to train, so it's all good. Getting faster reactions comes with more practice."** Lucy said with a patient smile. Serena nodded as she took the advice. She nuzzled slightly against Wasabi with a toothless grin. She commented in her original accent, **"That was like… a fun workout! Been a while since I had to try against an opponent. I expect nothing less from the Mistress's eldest ace."**

"I thought Chari was her ace." Serena was confused by the comment. After all, Chari was Aurora's starter Pokémon.

 **"I'm her original ace… and in many ways, I'm like a hidden boss now. I was her ace before she got closer to Chari by virtue of Chari being a guardian partner."** Wasabi explained.

"How do you feel about not being one of Aurora's guardian partners?" Serena asked.

 **"It stung at first and I wondered what type of bond Aurora and I had. I doubted myself, wondering what I did wrong to not be her aura partner. We've always shared a tight bond. After all, I've known Aurora the longest out of her Pokémon. It took me a while to accept that I wasn't her guardian partner. I got over it because I remembered one crucial thing."** Wasabi said.

"What was that?" Serena wondered.

 **"No amount of stupid aura can ever convey the _love_ she has for me and the love I have for her. As long as I keep that in mind, I don't get upset. In fact… I even help her more inexperienced electric types sometimes with controlling their electricity. I'm content with helping Aurora out whenever she needs it." **Wasabi stated with a satisfied look on her face.

"That's a really good way to look at it." Serena acknowledged. Wasabi laughed wistfully.

 **"I wish it took me less time to think about it that way, but I was young. Having youthful blood makes you do dumb things at times, but it's all about maturing and being a better person or Pokémon at the end of the day."** Wasabi suddenly got on all fours. She looked up at the sky and noticed the sun was getting closer to setting. She said with a heavy voice, **"Now I'd say you should hurry back to the house before you fail. Try to keep pace with me."**

Serena nodded. Serena waved Lucy goodbye. With Wasabi's lead, Serena began to hurry back to the Ketchum house. Mew looked at Lucy with a small mischievous smile before hurrying with Serena. Lucy sat down where she was for a few moments, deep in thought. She didn't know why, but she wanted to stay by Serena for a little while longer. Then, she seemed to come to a decision. Lucy quickly hurried to catch up with Serena.

Wasabi heard something coming from behind them and moved her ear toward the source. She quickly turned around and stopped Serena in her tracks. Serena was surprised at seeing the dawn form of Lycanroc. Lucy seemed ecstatic that they stopped for her.

 **"Sorry about reminding you about that nasty stuff, buddy. Didn't mean to."** Lucy said with an apologetic tone. Wasabi made a disarming smile, but then tilted her head in confusion.

 **"It's fine. Um… why are you following us?"** Wasabi voiced her confusion. She would have thought Lucy would have run off like the other two by now. Lucy's yellow eyes seemed softer than normal.

 **"I got nothing better to do. Besides, now that I've seen this… Serena… as you called her… I want to meet young master Ash properly. I've seen him from a distance since he's been here, but I've never directly come up to him because I don't know how he'll respond to me. Should be easier to approach him now that I've battled his betrothed."** Lucy admitted.

"You were too nervous to meet him?" Serena realized. Lucy looked away and hid a blush. Serena made an encouraging smile and petted her again. Lucy eased into her touch. The Lycanroc didn't know why, but she felt comfort near Serena. Lucy didn't want to admit to Serena that she also didn't want to leave her, so she went along with her small lie. Serena said, "You shouldn't feel that way. I'm sure he'd love to meet you. I liked meeting you myself."

 **"Aww, a sweet one, huh? That's… cool or whatever."** Lucy said with a disinterested tone, but her tail betrayed her voice. It was wagging wildly. Serena chuckled and acted like she didn't notice for Lucy's sake.

With that, the four of them headed to Aurora's house as fast as they could. Serena didn't know what to expect from Alice and Gordo, but she knew she needed to make a stand. She felt a surge of confidence with Wasabi and Lucy near her. As she hurried through the tree, she couldn't help but eye the setting sun. It felt like time was beginning to go against her.

* * *

 **A/N: This part of Alice's trial was probably my favorite to write.** **I hope you all enjoyed the different variety the Lycanrocs had. Ash and Serena will finally reunite next chapter. How will things be once Serena reaches the house? So many questions... so many answers. I hope you all will enjoy the result.**

 **Next Chapter: An Altered Perspective**

 **~SPG123~**


	14. An Altered Perspective

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! I hope you enjoy!**

 ***Insert disclaimer about Pokemon being Nintendo's property here***

* * *

 _The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. -Nathaniel Branden_

* * *

Chapter 13: An Altered Perspective

The sun inched closer and closer away from view. Serena could see the sky beginning to turn from orange to midnight blue. She could see the sun being replaced with the moon, but she still had a few minutes before dusk ended. Fortunately for Serena, the house was within sight. Unfortunately for Serena, the house was several hundred feet away from her. She noticed quite of number of Pokémon and a couple of people standing in front of the berry field, seemingly waiting for her.

Alice was standing in front of the berry field near the house with her hand curled up against her chest. She seemed concerned. Serena was surprised to see her worried. Was she concerned about Serena herself or concerned that she would finish on time? The girl had no way of knowing from where she was.

Alice also had a Gengar, Froslass and Lupa near her. Lupa seemed much happier than when Serena encountered her in the cave. Lupa's tail started to wag upon seeing Serena. Her eyes were just as friendly as Lucy's. Serena was happy at seeing this change. That was a good sign. The Froslass seemed to be eyeing her cautiously. The Gengar seemed be very mischievous from how he was grinning.

Serena saw Gordo wasn't with her, but noticed that someone else was standing beside her with a Pikachu on his shoulder. The Pikachu jumped off his shoulder when he felt his trainer shift. The person immediately started to run toward her at a breakneck pace. Serena increased her pace as well. Wasabi, Lucy and Mew decided to go to where the rest of the Pokémon were.

"A-ash!" Serena was almost knocked down by the impact of Ash's hug. He'd run a little too fast and slowed down a bit too late to prevent a slight recoil, but held both of their balances. Ash hugged her with strength she'd come to expect from the Ketchums, but she welcomed the crushing feeling.

"Serena!" Ash said with relief with his voice.

He immediately kissed her briefly on her lips, then inspected her. He looked for any major injuries. He did notice several cuts on her clothes, but noticed her skin was fine. Ash narrowed her eyes seeing her clothes tattered. Meanwhile, Serena found herself feeling lightheaded in happiness. For that moment, she forgot Alice's presence and focused solely on the man she loved. She'd liked that he'd gotten more affectionate to her even when his grandparents were near. Ash then ended their embrace.

Serena noticed that Ash didn't seem scratched, but also saw that he changed clothes from before. He was still wearing the same hat, fingerless gloves and pants, but his vest and shirt were the same as the vest and shirt she picked out for him in Kalos. She wondered what happened to make him change, but decided to ask about it later.

"I'm so happy you're safe! I just got back a half hour ago myself. Grandma told me what she had you doing and I was upset when I found out what her actual intent of the trial was. However, I forgave her when I noticed she wasn't aggressively pursuing you in the cave despite knowing that you had one of Mom's strongest Pokémon with you to make the guardians not as threatening. I know that if she truly wanted to kill you, she would have laid more traps as you went through your trial and pursued you herself. She is a crazy good duelist, so if she had directly fought you… I don't want think about what would have happened. You didn't see Grandma in the caves, right?"

"No, she didn't. I…" Serena stopped herself and sighed. She decided to say, "Ash, your grandparents are crazy."

"I know, but only to psychics. That doesn't make things right, though." Ash admitted.

"I love you so much, but your grandparents make things hard to tolerate," Serena said with sadness. Ash was eyeing her closely as she said this. He was analyzing her every movement to see her emotions. It was clear to him that she was willing to get herself hurt to just to show that she loved him. Although the boy would do the same for her, he would rather not have that happen. He decided to say what he thought was best for her.

"Serena, would you like me to take you back to Kalos, then?" Ash asked in a low voice. Serena got a shiver with how seriously and easily he said that. She knew he cared about her, but hearing this shocked her. His eyes held no malice. Just sadness. Ash continued, "Give me the word and I'll make sure you're not so uncomfortable."

"Ash…" Serena was so surprised that she could only say his name.

"You just said they make things hard to tolerate. That's not a way to live. Why are you putting yourself through this? I'm not worth it." Ash argued. Serena immediately shook her head. Her eyes become determined as she glared at him. Ash was frowning, but showing no signs of changing his stance.

"Ashton Ketchum, you will always be worth it to me!" Serena said a strong voice. She immediately clutched his hands with a grip Ash wasn't used to. She was looking at him with those same determined eyes. Ash found himself blushing slightly at her proximity. He was also surprised that she used his full name while he was in control.

"Serena…" Ash had his mind blank out temporarily.

"Don't say that. I… don't like being near your grandparents, but I love you. I like being around your mom, too. If she was as bad as her parents, then I'd consider your words. However, with how nice you and your mom are, that's enough for me to be content to stay." Serena told him. Ash could feel himself getting annoyed by her. He forced her to let go of him. Serena was surprised to see him irritated at her.

"You shouldn't have to feel only feel content, though! Hearing that makes me upset. Don't accept unfairness for me. I want _you_ to be happy, not sacrifice your happiness for me." Ash said as he clutched her shoulders with a firm grip. He still seemed annoyed, but it was clear it was coming from a place of concern. He continued, "I get that you want to earn your place in my family and I appreciate the lengths you went through for me. However, I don't want you to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable trying to do that.

"Hearing this from you do make me happy. Every time I'm with you, I know you manage to make me smile and feel warm. You care so much about me and I feel so grateful I managed to catch with you when I started my journey. Despite how mean your grandparents are, I'm grateful you're not like them." Serena said. Ash let go of her and sighed sadly. He wished she had a different impression of them, but knew that they didn't exactly help their case.

"Grandma isn't actually mean, though. I'll try my hardest to help you get through to at least Grandma." Ash said with a determined fist. He knew that Serena likely wouldn't listen to him, so he decided to try the next best thing.

"I'm not sure if that's possible." Serena doubted. Ash shook his head in gentle disagreement.

"I think it is. You know, I also forgave Grandma because she genuinely seemed sorry and was concerned about you." Ash revealed to her. Serena gasped.

"Really?" Serena said in shock.

"Yep. When I got home, she was pacing around like Mom does when she's worried. Let's see how she treats you now that you finished the trial. I feel like things will be different." Ash said honestly. Though he didn't want Serena to be unhappy in the Tree, he also wanted his grandparents to get along with her. He was hesitant, but he also knew that Serena could win over Alice. He only hoped that his grandmother was genuine in how she acted while Serena was in the caves.

"I'll trust you, but I'm not holding my breath," Serena said bluntly. Ash wasn't surprised and merely shrugged his shoulders.

"When I first got back, I was going to see if I could find you in the caves. However, Grandma told me I should wait until nightfall when you should be back. I'm glad I did. I got to see you trying your best training and being successful with it!" Ash said happily.

"Were you able to find your other two partners, anyway?" Serena wondered.

Ash smiled and decided to throw up two Poke Balls to answer her question. A jackal with sharp red out and a green reptilian with deep black eyes emerged. The blue and black jackal looked at her surroundings, then noticed Serena. She lowered her ears and went behind Ash, somewhat nervous. She eyed Serena cautiously. The gargantuan green Pokémon stared at his new home and then looked down at Serena. Serena made a greeting gesture. Despite his size, Serena wanted to show that she wasn't afraid of him or wanted to hurt him. The rock type showed no signs of acknowledging her. His eyes seemed distrusting and he was frowning.

Ash sighed seeing how they both reacted, but wasn't surprised. The boy wanted them to begin opening up to others and figured this would be a start. Ash gestured the timid Pokémon behind him to be a little less rude and say hi. With her ears still lowered, she slowly crept closer to Serena and then gave a greeting gesture. She then went back right back behind Ash. Ash smiled at the attempt. Ash gestured the giant Pokémon to do the same. The green reptilian raised an arm up in acknowledgment, then put it down.

Ash said, "Meet Lucario and Tyranitar. They've both not had the best experiences with humans, so I'm sorry about how they're acting."

"Is Lucario the same Riolu you mentioned spurring your aura in Sinnoh?" Serena asked.

"Yep. She's gotten a lot stronger since then, too! Lucario's naturally timid, but she can be a bit stubborn when following her heart. She was invaluable for me getting through to Tyranitar." Ash described. Serena laughed.

"I wonder who's also stubborn…" Serena said with a chuckle. Ash didn't seem amused.

"Oh ha ha. Says the sassy and headstrong girl," Ash's eyes turned to red immediately and retorted with a toothless grin. It was Serena's turn to be a little annoyed. She hated that Ash could switch to Ashton to bail him out and vice versa… because she knew Ash wouldn't have retorted that quickly.

"Ashton!" Serena hissed, but didn't deny him. Ashton laughed at her expense, but then quickly grew more serious.

"Tyranitar is way more withdrawn from humans, though. He's… been through a lot after I left Johto." Ashton said with saddened eyes. He told Serena what Tyranitar told her. Serena looked up at the rock type. She walked up to him and tried to touch his scales to see if she could comfort him. Tyranitar emitted a low growl that told Serena to move away. Serena complied and stepped away. She seemed sad for him.

"Tyranitar, don't do that!" Ashton hissed. The rock type looked at his trainer with remorse. Ashton said, "Sorry, Serena."

"Don't worry. Trust takes time." Serena responded with a sweet smile. Tyranitar could see the kindness in her eyes. Tyranitar suddenly looked a little spooked upon observing that, then looked away from the girl in slight guilt. Ash's eyes then turned back to brown.

* * *

While Ash and Serena were talking, Pikachu took the time to interact with the Pokémon Serena returned with. Upon noticing Wasabi, he immediately gave her a hug and started to cry. Wasabi made a sweet smile at the mouse and returned the gesture. She seemed to be holding in her tears. Wasabi whispered in his ear, **"(I'm so glad you're well, Little Chu. I'm also glad that you breaking your original Poke Ball didn't have any negative repercussions on you. Aurora and I were worried about you.)"**

 **"(I'm… sorry for running away like that. I… I had to get away… from him. I… didn't want… to get beaten again…)"** Pikachu said in a desperate voice. He sounded so scared. Wasabi could feel his fear and started to rub his back to comfort him.

 **"(Marcus was a jerk. I completely understand.)"** Wasabi said in a comforting voice. Pikachu broke their embrace and tilted his head in confusion.

 **"(Was? D-do you know what's become of him?)"** Pikachu asked curiously, but his tone was still fearful. Wasabi decided to wipe his tears.

 **"(…Your old trainer died by Aru's hand a few years after you ran off. She was… distraught after you left and seeing how Marcus was, she was a little reckless in dealing with him.)"** Wasabi disclosed uncomfortably once she made sure Pikachu's fur was dry. Pikachu looked down and his expression turned pensive. He closed his eyes as he accepted his old trainer's demise.

 **"(… I see. I'll never have to see him again, then. Thank you for telling me this.)"** Pikachu said in a relieved tone. He seemed to be much more at ease.

 **"(Of course. Don't run out on your current trainer, though, haha.)"** Wasabi winked. Pikachu immediately shook his head.

 **"(Never. Ash is leagues better than that old dirtbag. I will always be at Ash's side.)"** Pikachu said strongly. Wasabi smiled at that.

 **"(I don't know anything about this Marcus dude y'all were talking about, but I'm… like super glad things turned out okay for ya!)"** Lucy chimed into the conversation. She made a disarming smile and wagged her tail excitedly.

 **"(Thank you for the kind words. What kind of Pokémon are you?)"** Pikachu asked curiously.

 **"(I'm a dawn form Lycanroc. I was born and raised in Alola, but on standby whenever Aurora needs me here in the Tree of Beginning.)"** Lucy immediately responded. Wasabi decided to explain a little further about Lucy's origin.

 **"(Aurora went to the Alola region soon after leaving Johto, Little Chu. She caught Lucy after you left.)"** Wasabi explained. Pikachu widened his eyes.

 **"(Oh, so you're an Alolan Pokémon. I wonder what others are there. I'm kinda hoping Ash takes me there at some point. Alola seems interesting.)"** Pikachu admitted.

 **"(It's super chill in Alola. I know you would enjoy the experience.)"** Lucy said with a smile.

 **"(I heard from Alice that Wasabi was protecting Serena from three guardians. Were you one of the guardians?)"** Pikachu asked.

 **"(I was one of the guardians, but I didn't like… do anything major to Serena. I know a good person when I see one. I still tested her battling skills and although she needs work, I know she'll improve. It's strange to see a human not comfortable with battling after being with Aurora for so long, though.)"** Lucy confirmed and said her thoughts.

* * *

Alice had listened in on the conversation of the Pokémon and could understand them clearly. She was a bit surprised to see Lucy regard Serena positively after seeing Lupa's state. Lupa also spoke of how merciful Serena was and how she tried to end their encounter as peacefully as she possibly could when she was teleported back. She looked at all the Pokémon in thought.

Alice noticed Ash and Serena beginning to walk back with a Tyranitar and Lucario behind Ash. Alice smiled and waved at them. Her brown eyes seemed much warmer than earlier. Ash waved back, but Serena was uneasy. She wasn't sure what Alice would say or do to her in response to finishing the trial. Her guard was raised.

Ash immediately noticed a blue canine-like Pokémon he'd never seen before. It looked really similar to Lupa. It seemed like the Pokémon was a bit nervous and looked away from him. Ash got on his knees and gave the Pokémon a comforting smile. Lucy wagged her tail as she grew a bit more comfortable near Ash.

"Hello there. Who might you be?" Ash asked.

"This is your mother's main partner from Alola. She's a dawn form Lycanroc nicknamed Lucy." Alice said. Lucy and Lupa decided to sit next to each other so Ash could inspect their differences. They both were smiling at him. Lupa appeared much older, but their main differences were their fur color, eye color and the fact that Lucy had more rocks on her neck.

"So… your Lycanroc isn't the only variant," Ash noted.

"Yes. There are four types of Lycanroc depending on when its pre-evolution, Rockruff evolves. Your mother has always been an early bird, so she evolved Lucy in the morning. I'm actually surprised that she followed the girl back." Alice replied.

 **"I dunno… I felt compelled to. I really like her a lot."** Lucy said after Mew enabled her to speak with telepathy. Serena smiled at that.

"Compelled, huh? Hmm… I wonder…" Alice closed her eyes in thought for a few moments. Then she turned to Ash and said, "Ash, make sure that when you call Aurora, you have Lucy on the screen. Aurora is going to want to look at Lucy now that she's been exposed to the girl."

"How specific, but alright. I know you'd want to see Mom, right, Lucy?" Ash said to Lucy. He started to pet her. Lucy smiled at the touch and nodded.

Ash got off his knees and noticed Mew just observing everyone passively. He was a bit surprised to see her here and knew that she only really exposed herself if it was something important. From what his grandmother told him, he knew that the important thing was Serena.

"Mew… you helped protect Serena?" Ash asked the primordial psychic type. Mew immediately nodded.

 **"To a certain extent, yes. You know I don't make things easy."** Mew acknowledged. Ash wasn't surprised at her not making things completely easy for Serena, but still frowned slightly. Upon seeing that response, Mew said firmly, **"I made sure she wouldn't die under any circumstances."**

"Thank you so much. I don't know what I would do if I lost her." Ash admitted. He closed his eyes as he tried to get the thought of losing Serena out of his head. Ash suddenly grabbed her hand. Serena was touched and gave a reassuring squeeze that she would be alright.

"Kiddo…" Alice said upon hearing the sadness in his tone. She could see her grandson wrapped up in love and wondered where the time went. Out of all the people to love, she questioned why he would love a hybrid. The thought felt wrong to her and went against everything she's been through in Hokori. And yet… Ash made it feel right. It made the elderly lady feel conflicted.

"Grandma, is there something wrong?" Ash snapped his grandmother out of her thoughts.

"You truly love her, don't you?" Alice said suddenly.

"Of course. I would do anything to protect her." Ash said immediately. He looked at her directly in the eyes and in their small interaction, she could see that he was challenging her to say something disapproving so he could prove his words. She noticed a small red gleam in his eyes and observed Ash's other side feeling the same way about Serena. Alice didn't know what to think about this.

"Ashton… the sincerity in your tone reminds me of how little you've changed." Alice said with a sigh. Ash was a little surprised to hear her use his full name with him being the dominant one out.

Ash's look was enough discouraging enough for Alice to look away. Though she looked away, she glanced back for a moment. Ash's attention was now on Serena and he was gazing at her lovingly. Serena was gazing at Ash lovingly as well. She was beaming at hearing his feelings her for. Alice couldn't sense any twisted intentions from Serena's smile. The old woman thought, _"I finally see the spark between them. A living aurora… two beings connected as one. Ash, you're quite fortunate for finding her this early in your life."_

Alice suddenly started to walk up to Serena. She showed no signs of what she wanted to say or do in her expression. The honey-blond teen grew nervous and sweat dropped internally. Ash couldn't read his grandmother's intentions, but he also knew she wouldn't attack Serena. When Alice was tense, he could tell because she would act colder than normal. The boy was relaxed.

Alice did something neither of them ever expected her to do: she gave Serena a heartfelt hug. Serena immediately tensed up in the embrace. Just like with Ash, the hug crushed her. She had a hard time speaking. However, she could feel Alice's aura envelop her. It oddly felt soothing. She felt Alice's sorrow over her treatment of her and was surprised by this.

"M-Ms. Alice…? Why are you hugging me? H-help…" Serena coughed. The girl knew Alice didn't know she was using too much strength. Ash decided to step in.

"Grandma, let her go," Ash said with a gentle voice. Alice immediately complied and apologized under her breath. She couldn't look at Serena directly.

"I'm… a fool. I'm so sorry for what I tried to do to you… Serena." Alice said from the bottom of her heart. Ash and Serena gasped. Ash never knew Alice to talk to Serena much as she explicitly avoided her. Serena was surprised even more so about this apology because of one thing.

"You… said my name," Serena said in shock. Alice nodded in acknowledgment and sighed.

"Yes… because you deserve to be treated like a human like me. I won't attempt something what I had done earlier again, but I understand if you stay cautious around me. I've not the best experience with psychics in my life. I apologize for acting so brashly and harshly against you. I was only being careful for Ash's sake." Alice admitted.

"I know. Mew told me about Ms. Delia wounded you in ways that I'm not sure I can fix. However, I do want us to have a good relationship. If I do anything to betray your trust, feel free to kill me." Serena said in a deadly serious tone. Everyone looked at her in shock.

"…!" Alice was surprised at how intensely she said that. She looked at the girl with unsure eyes. Meanwhile, Ash was looking at Serena as if she was a little crazy.

"Serena, don't say th-," Ash started, but the girl cut him off. She made an assuring smile.

"Ash, it's okay," Serena said soothingly. She made a challenging look at Alice as she said, "Ms. Alice, hold me true to my words. I want to show you how much I love Ash. So, if I ever do anything to make him hurt, then… d-do what you must."

"Serena…" Ash didn't know what to say. He hoped his voice could convey how extreme he thought she was being. He noticed her free hand was curled in determination. Alice seemed to weigh her words. Serena was staring at the aging woman intensely.

"I may not trust psychics, but… maybe I can lower my guard a little with you." Alice said with a relenting tone. Both Ash and Serena looked at the old lady excitedly upon hearing that. However, they both deflated slightly when Alice said immediately afterward, "That being said, I will hold you to your words."

"Grandma, I won't let you harm her even if she did betray me," Ash stated seriously. Alice suddenly gained a bit of playfulness in her eyes Serena never saw before.

Alice looked at her grandson with a cheeky grin. She shrugged her shoulders, "I know. Such a situation probably won't ever happen. If it did, maybe more actions could be done to enact forgiveness instead of the most gruesome outcome? Depends on what I see from her from here on in."

Serena never thought she'd be hearing Alice say this to her. She couldn't hide how happy she was that Ash's grandmother was giving her a chance. She never imagined Alice would be open to the idea. She was tempted to hug her, but knew that she didn't know the elderly lady too well yet. Things would get awkward quickly. She made a large thankful smile instead.

"Thank you for giving me a chance, Ms. Alice!" Serena said as she bowed in respect. Alice made a look in acknowledgment.

"Heh." Alice continued smiling mischievously, but it was playful.

"Thank you, Grandma. Seriously. I was so afraid you wouldn't be up to opening your heart like this." Ash also thanked. He gave her a hug happily. Alice smiled at seeing her grandson joyful. Her eyes glazed over slightly in content.

"Only for you, little one," Alice said as she broke off the embrace. Just like Aurora had a habit to call Ash, 'young one', Alice had a habit of calling Ash, 'little one'. It didn't matter to the elderly lady that Ash was now a head taller than she was, either. Alice continued, "As for your side, hold on to your special one tightly. Enjoy your time together and above all else, protect each other. All I ask is for you to be alright at the end of the day."

"Right!" Ash said while forming a fist in determination. Alice suddenly turned serious.

"I do have a warning, though," Alice said. Both teens gave their full attention. The greying haired lady said sadly, "Gordon is not as open as me about most things. He hates psychics even more than I do. It's to the point he didn't want to see Serena returning, so he's inspecting the perimeter of the Tree currently. I've only been exposed to bad psychics through Delilah. Charles wounded his heart even before we adopted Delilah. Delilah reopened the wound and it never fully healed. With your separation from Aurora, it only made him more absolute against psychics. Don't expect him to suddenly be nice."

"We can get through to him," Ash said confidently. Serena was awed by Ash's immediate response. She admired his confidence. Meanwhile, Alice shook her head.

"Little one, I'm not sure if that's possible at this point. Charles…" Alice looked like she was going to continue speaking, but she cut herself short. She instead said, "Well, let's just say they both wounded each other in ways I'm not sure is repairable at this point. I'll see if I can get him to be a little more respectful toward Serena. I can't promise you results, though. Gordon's always been stubborn."

"The fact that you're even attempting to do this is more than enough from me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Serena bowed in respect. Alice seemed hesitant to acknowledge the thanks and gave an awkward laugh in response.

"… No problem. I can't believe I'm doing this, but I do believe you deserve a chance." Alice said as her eyes suddenly turned light blue. The air around them started to turn cold, and Serena felt an awful shiver. Alice's hair started to freely around her freely. She glared at Serena viciously. Serena gulped. Alice said with a harsh tone, "Don't mess this up…"

"G-got it," Serena said, slightly in fear. Ash stood in front of Serena protectively with narrowed eyes. Alice seemed approving of the gesture. Her hair fell back into place and the air around them went back to normal. Alice started to smile warmly at the two.

"Now, I'd say it's time for Serena's reward for completing the trial on time," Alice told them.

"What's the reward?" Serena asked.

"A trip to the Hokori region. I'm going to the same place I got Happy from." Alice revealed.

"Wait… I thought Mom found Happy's egg in Viridian Forest." Ash pointed out. Alice suddenly looked amused.

"That's true. However, Eevee aren't indigenous to Viridian Forest. Who do you think left her egg there?" Alice chuckled. Both teens widened their eyes.

"Did you actually…" Ash and Serena started together, but stopped when Alice nodded in confirmation.

"Aurora had been so excited to start her journey that she ran off before I could give her my gift. Gordon had caught Wasabi before we moved to Kanto and gave her to Aurora since the two had been close playing together in Mufasa Fields. I wanted to give something to Aurora as well. Happy ended up being just that. To this day, I don't think she realized I gave her one of her Aspects." Alice chuckled at the memory.

"Does this mean you're trying to do the same for me?" Serena asked. Alice shrugged her shoulders.

"Perhaps. We'll see if any of the eggs at the place is compatible with you. If one of them is, then yes, I will gift you one of your Aspects. The chances are unlikely, though. I need you to come with me because I don't know your aura well enough like I do Aurora's." Alice said.

"Can I come, too?" Ash said with sparkles in his eyes.

"Normally, I would say yes. However, you are too much of a beacon, little one. Serena is already a risk to bring due to being a hybrid. If I brought a budding Ketchum with a hybrid, people in Hokori won't react too well. I'm sorry... I rather you not get hurt." Alice said while looking down. She seemed sad for him.

"Aww. I understand, though." Ash said with his signature smile quickly. Though he wanted to join, he also didn't want to cause any unwarranted danger.

"How are you going to hide the fact that I'm a hybrid to people? I feel like I'm just as much as a beacon as Ash is." Serena wondered.

"With assistance from Mew," Alice answered immediately.

 **"Oh?"** Mew blinked her eyes in surprise. She wasn't expecting to get roped into the conversation.

"I need you to hide part of Serena's aura to allow her to appear fully guardian." Alice requested.

Mew seemed to be in a bit of thought. She seemed hesitant, but slightly afraid. Alice wondered what was wrong. This wasn't as severe as a request biological Ketchums could make. The old lady wondered what was going through Mew's mind.

Mew seemed to make a condemning sigh to herself. She didn't like the consequences she foresaw in doing this request, but decided to go along with it. She only decided to go along with it because it was the best possible path she could see. She showed no signs of using her foresight.

 **"Interesting request. I suppose I can humor you. Though I am more in tune with guardians than I am with psychics at this point, I will mask her aura to appear more like a psychic instead."** Mew offered.

"How come you're masking her like a psychic specifically?' Alice asked.

 **"The Zurui is semi-aware of Serena's existence through her encounter of the DDD. Serena risked her life trying to save Aurora's partners and Pikachu back then. Before Serena could get taken, Raven cloaked Serena's aura to appear as a psychic to them and knocked them out. I wish to keep up consistency should someone recognize her."** Mew explained.

"I see. I suppose we should be fine if we avoid the townsfolk." Alice said with a sigh.

Mew suddenly lifted Serena in the air. The girl grew nervous being in Mew's whim. Mew's eyes changed shape. They resembled Arceus's eyes. Mew gazed at her sharply. Serena felt even more nervous than before and remembered that Mew and Arceus are essentially the same being split apart. She made Serena glow pink for a few moments. After that, she brought the girl down gently. Mew's eyes returned to normal, but she looked slightly drained.

 **"It is done. Serena's aura will appear as a psychic to people for six hours. You must get back here by then. Fortunately for you, it is nightfall, so most people shouldn't be out. You should arrive in Hokori by the time it is dawn there. Be on guard, though."** Mew said.

"Got it." Alice threw up a Poke Ball. Out came a large moth-like creature with six wings. Its blue eyes seem to be studying Serena closely. Every time he fluttered his wings, Serena could feel heat. Alice then returned the rest of her Pokémon besides the bug and fire type. Alice said, "Climb aboard one of my oldest partners, Volc. He won't bite. I promise."

The Volcorona nodded and patiently waited to be mounted. Serena noticed that every time he flapped his wings, a little bit of dust fell. It looked very pretty. It gave the Volcarona a bit of a mystical appearance. Alice jumped on top of the bug and fire type. Ash gave Serena a small peck on her cheek. Serena blushed at the affection.

Ash started to blush suddenly. His left eye turned red as well. Serena what was up with him to have both sides of him out. Ash said in tune with himself, "Whatever happens, I know Grandma will keep you safe. I can't wait to see your new partner! Maybe we can raise it… together…? Since it-it'll be like… a child… for us."

Serena could see why he was a little embarrassed now. She started to blush herself. She hadn't thought about it and the prospect of raising a child with Ash was… woah. Serena didn't want to get ahead of herself. She instead started to stammer, "O-oh, I… t-that would be nice."

Alice seemed to be amused, but didn't say anything. Serena said once her composure was back, "What will you be doing now?"

"I have to break an aura bead Mom gave me and call her. If you don't come back by then, then it's gonna be training and getting to know Tyranitar and Lucario better until you return." Ash told her.

"Typical Ash." Serena laughed.

"Little one, make sure Gordo teaches you something should we take a while. You follow your mother more closely in style, but also it's good to be defensive sometimes." Alice advised. The boy nodded.

Volc gestured Serena to get on. Serena looked at Alice, unsure. She couldn't forget what she just tried to attempt and felt hesitant. However, she noticed that Alice's demeanor completely shifted compared to earlier. Serena noticed Alice was avoiding her gaze. She seemed unsurprised at Serena's hesitation. Serena was surprised at seeing the guilt on her face.

"Serena, I understand if you don't trust me. I've given you no reason to. Mark my words, though. If I say I'm going to do something for someone, I'm sincere when I say it. You can choose to decline your gift and I totally understand if you do. After all, I did try to kill you preemptively." Alice started bluntly.

"Ms. Alice…" Serena didn't know what to say to that, but didn't make any signs to move. Serena was still looking at Alice wearily.

"I know I was wrong, but there's only so much I can do before saying sorry becomes redundant. You're probably thinking that I may take this chance to abandon you somewhere. Ash wouldn't forgive me… and I wouldn't forgive myself for harming someone innocent. I know now that you're not a bad person. At this point, all I can try to do is treat you like you should have been treated in the first place… like _family_." Alice continued.

"…" Serena gasped at that and looked down. She found herself tearing up slightly at that. She closed her eyes, deep in thought.

"I feel like if we are to get to know each other properly, we should give each other a chance. If you decide to give me a chance, I'll make things worth your while. I promise. Go ahead and change your clothes if you decide to come with me. Stay beside Ash if you decide not to trust me." Alice told her. She stood beside Volc patiently, eyeing Serena's every move.

Serena opened her eyes and looked at Ash for a bit of guidance. He gestured her to go on Volc and trust his grandmother. He looked just as sincere as Alice. Serena chucked to herself at the similarity. He gave her an encouraging smile. Serena sighed and decided to trust Ash.

Serena quickly went inside and changed her clothes. She wore an incredibly similar outfit to her normal one, with the blue ribbon gifted by Ash still at the crown of her chest. By the time she came back outside, she noticed both Ash and Alice giving her encouraging looks. The girl took a deep breath and stepped beside Alice. The elderly Ketchum made an accepting, but wistful smile and climbed on her partner.

Serena got on Volc and held on to Alice to best way she could. She felt a little awkward, but visibly didn't show it. Alice made a relieved, but surprised sigh. She thanked Ash under her breath for letting Serena give her a chance to trust her.

"Stay safe, you two!" Ash waved them off as Volc started to fly high into the sky. He kept waving until he couldn't see them.

Ash turned to his newly caught Aspects and regarded them with a grin. Lucario seemed a bit nervous as she still didn't know how Ash was like when his eyes were like this. Tyranitar also was a bit nervous because he didn't know what to expect from this point onward. He hoped he'd made the right choice going with someone of his past.

* * *

 **A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter... a lot. I liked writing all the different interactions in general.**

 **Serena appears to have gotten through to Alice, but not to Gordo. Unfortunately for Serena, Gordo is meaner and is less willing to let go of the past than Alice is. I wonder how things will be the next time he interacts with Serena... will he change? Who can say? How will things develop from here?**

 **The next couple of chapters will focus on Ash. See you all soon!**

 **Next Chapter: Hidden Bonds**

 **~SPG123~**


	15. Hidden Bonds

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon but do own the story idea.**

* * *

 _"It may take us years and years to find our true calling in our life. But one fine day, we eventually do find it!_  
 _Till then make merry, laugh, fight, dance and enjoy the craziness..." Avijeet Das_

* * *

When Ash stopped seeing anything in the sky, he immediately went into his bag and took out the peculiar blue bead. Lucario and Tyranitar gazed at it curiously. Taking a deep breath, he crushed the bead in his hand. Immediately, he felt his senses heightened. Ash felt like he had the entire Tree mapped out in his mind for a moment. Tyranitar and Lucario felt exposed. Pikachu, Lucy and Wasabi all felt comfortable.

Everyone but Wasabi heard Aurora's voice loud and clear, _"Hey… thank you for doing what I asked. I'll get to a phone as soon I can. Talk to you soon, young one."_

"Mom?" Ash said in surprise. Ash tilted his head to the side when he didn't hear a response back. Mew decided to give him some clarification.

 **"(She won't be able to answer you back as this was merely an ounce of aura. That was a prerecorded message, actually.)"** Mew explained. Mew had decided to stop speaking telepathy since Ash and the rest of the Pokémon could understand her natural language. Wasabi looked at the mythical Pokémon, somewhat confused, but then realized this had something to do with aura. She sighed slightly in sadness.

"Prerecorded?" Ash echoed, slightly confused. He didn't expect to hear a message from crushing the bead. He wondered how Aurora pulled it off.

 **"(If you have good enough technique, you can use aura beads outside their intended purpose. It's a little hard to explain, but she essentially transferred a speck of her aura to that bead and made it translatable to aura guardians only.)"** Mew continued. Lucy blinked in her eyes in confusion.

 **"(Wha…? I was able to hear it, though. I'm not one of Aurora's guardian partners, either.)"** Lucy pointed out. Wasabi seemed slightly envious, but confused at this as well. She started to inspect Lucy further and she seemed normal to her. The Raichu was perplexed.

 **"(Really? I couldn't.)"** Wasabi noted. Mew looked at Lucy with fascination.

 **"(How odd. You aren't a guardian Aspect and yet…)"** Mew started to inspect Lucy herself. Her eyes morphed to appear like Arceus's for a few moments before shifting back to their regular cat-like shape. She gasped with newfound clarity, **"(Oh, I see now.)"**

"What is it?" Ash asked curiously.

 **"(Lucy is imprinted with Serena's aura despite limited exposure to her.)"** Mew revealed.

"What?!" Everyone said simultaneously. Mew started to inspect Lucy a little further. The Lycanroc didn't know what to think of this.

 **"(So… does that mean I'm… like… one of Serena's Aspects?)"** Lucy asked.

 **"(Yes, actually. The odd thing about this is that you are a hybrid Aspect that heard this message. Normally, it would have been incredibly hard to hear it, sharp hearing or not.)"** Mew said with having a paw on her chin. She deduced, **"(Serena is closer to being a guardian than she is a psychic despite her genetically being half guardian and half psychic. Considering how she is Ash's current betrothed and has had limited interactions with psychics, this is unsurprising. The reverse would likely happen if Serena was around more psychics.)"**

"How can you tell?" Ash asked curiously.

 **"(A hybrid's aura is very adaptable to the people and situations they're near. It's their greatest strength. It's also why so many consider them dangerous.)"** Mew answered. Ash couldn't imagine Serena being dangerous. He couldn't imagine her fighting much of anything. Still, he knew not to underestimate anyone's potential, especially Serena's. The boy knew she proved herself while he was gone. He decided to focus on Lucy being Serena's Aspect.

"We gotta tell Serena as soon as she gets back. She's gonna be so excited!" Ash said while gripping his fist excitedly. Pikachu was surprised that Ashton said and did this with Ash. He seemed more serious than Ash. Normally by now, Ash would have made his left eye turn back to brown, but he still had heterochromia. The mouse chuckled. Ashton wasn't as different from Ash as he thought he was.

 **"(I… think you're excited more excited for her than she would be for herself, Ash.)"** Pikachu said with a sigh, but he was still happy about the news. Ash shrugged his shoulders, but didn't deny him.

Wasabi noticed Lucy got silent. Although Wasabi was happy that Lucy had the potential to get better than she already is, she also knew that Lucy was content with her life in the Tree of Beginning. Wasabi was sure she didn't want to leave Aurora. Lucy was looking down. Wasabi placed a paw on her shoulder, showing a supporting smile. Wasabi knew Lucy long enough to know if she was feeling down about something. The Raichu gestured Lucy to say something to Ash. Lucy nodded.

 **"(… Let me know when Serena returns. I… got a lot to think about.)"** Lucy said with her ears down. She wasn't speaking in her accent anymore. She started to walk away from everyone slowly. Ash noticed her sadness and stopped her in her tracks. He gestured the Lycanroc to look up at him.

"Lucy…" Ash said, but wasn't sure what else to say. Lucy decided to be upfront with her feelings.

 **"(I love Aurora a lot… but another trainer is my true partner? That's a little heavy considering I've been with Aurora for twenty years now.)"** Lucy admitted. Ash tried to think of a way to make her feel better.

"… Tell you what. You come with me when Mom calls and tell her everything we know. I know Mom would understand you and give you more clarity." Ash offered. Lucy made her head go off to the side and pondered his words.

 **"(I'm not sure I'm okay with it. I'm also not sure if Aurora will be alright with it. Don't get me wrong… I like Serena a lot. However…)"** Lucy wasn't sure how to finish her statement, so she let it hang.

"You've been with Mom for so long that it feels wrong to go to someone else, right?" Ash finished for her. The Lycanroc nodded. Ash decided to sit down with his legs out in front of him. She gestured Lucy to sit beside him.

 **"(Yeah.)"** Lucy responded as she sat down beside him.

The rest of the Pokémon got closer and sat down near him. Tyranitar made a thud upon sitting down. Ash looked like he was going to tell a story. He told the Pokémon of a few times he had that had a passion or was conflicted about staying with him. He decided to talk about Ambipom specifically as an example. He talked about how she first wanted to be traded to Dawn to perform, but later was released to pursue her talent in ping pong. The Pokémon listened intently. Ash looked up at the sky, thinking about Ambipom and other Pokémon he hadn't seen in a while.

"So, overall, there's quite been a few times where I released Pokémon… or at least tried to. I release a Pokémon only if they really want to, though. Some stayed like Pikachu while others left like Goodra or Ambipom. They always felt conflicted about it, but at the end of the day, they followed their heart. Hopefully, Mom could help you figure out what you want." Ash said.

 **"(It's true. I could have been in Viridian Forest instead of with Ash, but I decided to stay with him. I saw such a bright light from him. I was so surprised he was willing to give me the choice to do what I wanted. I know Aurora will likely be the same with you.)"** Pikachu said to supplement his trainer. Lucy still seemed deep in thought.

 **"(Master Ash was like that with me in letting me aid finding and convincing Tyranitar to come with us as well. If his mother is anything like him, and she gave me the impression she was, I'm sure she'll be open to what you want.)"** Lucario spoke up for the first time. Ash was surprised, but happy to hear her input.

"Lucario, stop calling me 'Master'. You're my friend, not my slave." Ash sighed. Lucario looked at the boy apologetically. Tyranitar widened his eyes at that. The boy considered Pokémon friends instead of creatures to do his bidding. That was a stark contrast to how things were after Ash left Johto. Tyranitar's eyes grew soft.

 **"(Apologies, M- er Ash. By the way… when you have red and brown eyes, what's happening to you? What should I call you?)"** Lucario asked.

"Sorry. I should have explained this earlier. When Ashton is out at the same time as Ash, it's called the aura allegiance. Right now, I'm neither of them specifically, but both combined. I'm more like regular Ash in personality, but that's because Ashton is more similar to regular Ash than most people think. It's easier to call me Ash as he is the dominate side." Ash explained. Lucario got a bit of chill thinking about it. She wasn't truly talking to the original Ash. However, this version was just as much her trainer than his less powerful selves.

 **"(When you and Arceus are combined, does this mean we would call you Mew, as well?)"** Pikachu wondered and asked the primordial Pokémon. Mew seemed to be in a bit of thought.

 **"(It's traditional for the guardian or psychic under the allegiance to be called by their balance's name. I was named Mew when I was combined with him millennia ago, but that may change since Arceus has changed. I'm really not sure if we could combine with his current mindset.)"** Mew answered.

From inside the house, they suddenly heard ringing. Ash knew it had to be from their video phone. Ash gasped and got up. Ash said to Lucy, "Follow me inside before she hangs up. Everyone else, I'll come back as soon as I can."

 **"(Go on, Ash. I'll show Pikachu and everyone a thing or two.)"** Wasabi said with a wink. Pikachu looked at his old mentor with a bit of intrigue. All the Pokémon waved Ash off and Ash and Lucy went inside.

* * *

Ash immediately went toward the sound of the ringing. The house's video phone was in the living room by their TV. The Ketchum living room looked more modern than one may expect, but it was very modest. There was a long couch in front of their flat screen TV and a smaller couch in front of the house's front window. There was a short wooden table neatly organized with a rose in a vase at its center.

The walls were painted cream and there were several badges of Ash's achievements and travels to different regions on the wall. He'd managed to transfer all of his badges to his new house since Delia abandoned their old one. Aurora wanted to make it clear how proud she was of him. The rest of Ash's plaques was in his room.

There was also pictures of a younger Aurora, Alice and Gordo at the corner opposite to the TV and adjacent to the video phone. There were also pictures of Ash and Aurora, though there were varying in ages. Ash was a baby in one, but a young child in most of them. The most recent picture was one Alice had taken a week after Ash started to live with his biological family again. It depicted Aurora happily giving him a nuggie for making his first cupcake without burning it. Ash was not resisting that much and was slightly uncomfortable, but happy at the contact.

Glancing at that picture made the boy chuckle to himself before he focused his attention toward the video phone. There was a wooden chair people could sit in. Much of the wooden ornaments and furniture in the house were personally crafted by Gordo. Ash liked that his family was very handy.

Ash sat down and answered. Lucy sat right beside him. Aurora immediately appeared on the screen beaming happily at him. He noticed that Raven was in the background and thought that was odd. Then again, Aurora was sitting in a Pokémon Center. In her hand, Raven seemed to be reading a tablet seemingly like a book. She was sitting down by a nearby table, but she appeared to be in earshot of Aurora. She seemed to be engrossed in her reading and showed no signs of acknowledging him or Lucy. Aurora noticed Ash was under the aura allegiance and wondered why Lucy was beside him while he was like this. Her beaming expression turned into a questioning one.

Ash decided to explain what he had gone through today and later what Serena had to do while they were gone. Aurora listened intently, then frowned as Ash continued. Her eyes were narrowed by the time Ash started to talk about how Serena looked when she came back. Aurora was so annoyed that she didn't give Ash a chance to finish.

"Ugh… I'm going to get a hold of Mom and Dad when I get home… and things aren't going to be nice. Her clothes were tattered? Serena shouldn't have gone through all that." Aurora growled. Her left eye turned red as she said this. Ash could tell both Aurora and Aru felt this way and was glad to see this. However, he wanted to clarify things.

"Mom, you didn't let me finish. Despite what Grandma made her go through, Grandma actually seems more approving of me and Serena now!" Ash said excitedly. Aurora gasped and widened her eyes.

"What?! Really?" The elder Ketchum said, slightly incredulous.

"Yep. Grandma didn't object when Serena and I held hands or when we hugged. She still seems hesitant about Serena, but she said herself that she's willing to give her a chance." Ash confirmed. Aurora had a stunned expression. Then, her face turned grateful. She closed her eyes in thought.

"Oh my… I never thought I'd hear Mom say that again about someone related to psychics…" Aurora drawled to herself.

"Hmm… again, you say? Perhaps we can talk about…" Ash picked up on how she phrased her expression with a wistful smile. He wondered if he could open her up more about that psychic she referred to. Aurora knew what he wanted and decided not to give it to him. She crossed her arms in slight irritation and cut him off.

"This conversation has nothing to do with Delilah. Still, I'm happy that Mom's cold heart warmed a bit to you and Serena. You two are very special to do that." Aurora said and redirected the conversation back to what they were talking about. Ash found himself blushing at her words. Aurora chuckled and decided to move on to something else. She said, "I'm happy you found your Aspects. In about a week, I would like to battle you with a team of Pokémon I haven't used on you yet."

"Oooh! I can't wait for that!" Ash's eyes lit up in excitement.

Any chance he got to learn from battling his mother, he would take it. He was curious to see what she had in store for him. Ash's left eye suddenly turned back to brown as Ash's enthusiasm was a little too much for Ashton to take at the moment. The counterbalance sighed in their head, but Ash knew he was just as excited. It took Ash a few moments to recover from Ashton severing their aura allegiance. Aurora waited patiently until Ash could move again.

"Same here, young one. However, I have to ask… why is Lucy with you? How are you, by the way, Lucy?" Aurora started to look at her silent Lycanroc. Lucy perked her ears up at being acknowledged.

 **"(I'm decent.)"** Lucy responded. Aurora raised an eyebrow upon hearing that response.

"Hahaha… stop lying to me. Tell me what's wrong." Aurora started lightheartedly then stared at the Lycanroc seriously. Lucy made a small, but forced smile. Aurora noticed she didn't wag her tail at being acknowledged, either. The raven-haired lady was growing concerned.

 **"(Nothing in particular is wrong.)"** Lucy maintained. Aurora shook her head and laughed.

"Lucy, your voice and tail usually give you away. You don't hide your feelings too well. Spill it." Aurora said with a serious voice. Her tone gave the Lycanroc no room to avoid her real feelings. She sighed and looked away from Aurora.

 **"…"** Lucy didn't know how to start. Aurora tapped her finger on her chin in thought. She snapped her fingers once she got an idea.

"Do you want me to deduce what's wrong instead?" Aurora offered. Lucy made a hidden smile. She knew Aurora may suggest that.

 **"(You've always been good at that, so yeah. Read my aura or whatever…)"** Lucy said nonchalantly.

"Sure. Touch my hand and I'll read you." Aurora's eyes started glowing yellow as she said this.

Her hair started to freely flow on its own. While concentrating her power, Aurora brought out her hand. As she brought out her hand, yellow aura started to form right in front of Ash and Lucy. Ash looked at the sight in amazement. He was always in awe at seeing Aurora's technique at work. The yellow aura started to form a hand-like shape. The aura hand enveloped Lucy gently. Lucy immediately relaxed under Aurora's aura. It felt like Aurora's real hand was caressing her.

Aurora gasped in shock and she read Lucy's aura. She stammered, "Serena… her aura is…"

 **"(Yeah.)"** Lucy said in a heavy voice.

"Your partner… your true partner… after all these years…" Aurora started to form from tears in her eyes. Ash and Lucy both looked concerned at the woman. She quickly wiped her eyes and said, "I understand why you were feeling down. You're not sure if I would give you up to someone else, but you don't want to leave me, right?"

 **"I'm not sure if I'm okay with leaving you. I also wasn't sure if you would be alright with it if I decided to."** Lucy confirmed to her trainer. Aurora looked away in thought.

"If I'm being honest, I'm not sure if I'm okay with it either. However…" Aurora took a moment to think about how she wanted to phrase herself next. Aurora said with a gentle smile, "If being with Serena will bring your potential to its limit, what can I say as your current trainer? Hold you back because I want to keep you? It would be selfish of me to hold you back."

 **"Aurora…"** Lucy said because she didn't know how to respond to that. She could hear some hesitance in Aurora's tone. Aurora sighed.

"You're right. I'm completely not okay with you going to Serena, but that's because of how much I love you. Part of me doesn't want to let you go. I know this is selfish and hurts a little of my pride, but it stings as your trainer to not be the one to bring you at your best." Aurora admitted. Lucy immediately shook her head at that.

 **"That's not true! I feel like very little can match me in a battle."** Lucy said with a determined gaze. Aurora made a smile to show that she appreciated Lucy saying that. However, she decided to be blunt with the Lycanroc.

"Though that may be true, you're still denying your potential. You've seen how my guardian partners are at their best. Their potential by my hand is overwhelming. You know how true it is. You can aim higher than you are already." Aurora said.

 **"…"** Lucy didn't know how to respond to her.

"Lucy. I won't stop you from staying with me or going to Serena. At least I can say that if you did decide to go with Serena, you'd go with a fantastic girl. Her character has been outstanding and I'm grateful that the person who's your true partner is someone I can trust." Aurora continued. Ash smiled upon hearing that. Aurora said while pointing to the screen with a gentle smile, "However, at the end of the day, the decision to go with Serena or stay by me isn't my decision. It's yours. Think about it to yourself and let me know what you decide. I'll support you either way."

 **"Thank you, Aurora,"** Lucy said from the bottom of her heart. She was happy that Aurora was giving her the freedom to do what she wanted. She didn't know what she wanted quite yet, but she was feeling much better having talked to Aurora.

"Not a problem. I only want the best for you. Either way, it's not like you'll never see me or Serena again. I'll give you all the belly rubs in the world, your trainer or not." Aurora said in a soothing tone. Lucy's tail started to thump against the floor as she imagined it.

 **"Hahahaha! That would like… soooo be nice,"** Lucy said happily.

"Ah… that's the Lucy I want to hear." Aurora laughed. She turned her attention to Ash again, "Young one, I'm glad that you made it back safely. Now that I know you're safe, my heart can be put at ease."

"You should have seen her pacing around like a madwoman waiting for you to break the bead. Aurora's always been a worrywart, but it was funny to watch…" Raven commented in the background. She closed her tablet and disappeared. Raven then appeared right behind Aurora and clutched her shoulders. Aurora widened her eyes and blushed. She turned around to look at Raven with an annoyed expression. Raven was making a cheeky grin at her reaction.

"Raven! You didn't have to tell him that!" Aurora hissed at her friend. Ash was hiding a little bit of a chuckle seeing his mother like this. Lucy was laughing slightly. Raven walked toward the phone and shared Aurora's seat. She continued looking at Aurora with a smug, but playful face.

"Hahaha… it's not like you'll do anything to me. Besides, I told you you had no reason to worry. Remember, I'm a living bad luck detector. I'd know." Raven placed a hand on her chest, somewhat proud of this distinction. Aurora rolled her eyes. Aurora couldn't deny her friend's words and knew that Raven's sixth sense of bad luck came from the fact she was a pure dusk guardian. Still, she didn't like being teased.

"Right…" Aurora huffed with annoyance.

"Anyway, I was wondering if I could talk to Serena, actually. Do you know where she is, Ash?" Raven asked.

"She's with Grandma going to some breeding place in Hokori to give Serena a gift for completing her challenge," Ash answered.

"Breeding place? You mean the one off Dendo?" Raven questioned. Ash nodded. Aurora suddenly had sparkles in her eyes. She was grinning happily.

"Oh! Meema's gonna see Serena again! She runs the place." Aurora said excitedly. Ash gasped. He didn't know his adoptive great-grandmother was a breeder. His eyes were sparkling in excitement, too. Marge had paid the Ketchum house a visit a few days after Ash had moved in, though she didn't interact with Serena much due to focusing on Ash. Meanwhile, Raven was looking concerned.

"Marge is the only person that's open to non-guardians in that area, though. Wait… that's concerning. People around Dendo aren't fond of psychics and I've no idea how they'd react to having a hybrid in their midst." Raven pointed out.

"Mew made Serena appear like a psychic because she encountered the Zurui before. They won't know she's a hybrid." Ash said to ease her worry. It did nothing. If anything, Raven looked even more distressed. Her grey eyes were glowing. Aurora's expression turned serious. She wondered if Raven sensed something bad imminent.

"That's still bad that she appears like a psychic in a guardian area! There's also the possibility of…" Raven gasped. She got up from her seat and looked down at Aurora. She said in a serious tone, "Aurora, I'm sorry. We can continue talking about how to improve the region later. I'm gonna check on Serena."

"I completely understand. I'm going to do some morning training or challenge people that wander into Raven's gym." Aurora said. When Ash was confused when she said 'morning', Aurora supplemented, "Hokori is seven hours ahead of Kanto. It's about five in the morning here."

"Ah." Ash nodded in understanding.

"Which means you should get to bed soon, mister," Aurora said in a half serious tone. She knew Ash was responsible so she didn't need to worry too much about him overdoing it. Ash nodded in response.

"Once I check in on Serena, I might join in on your training. The gym should be open. See you when I get back." Raven said to her friend. She looked to Ash and said, "Later Ash."

"Uh… bye Raven?" Ash said, but by the time he was done speaking, she had vanished in a shroud of dark aura. Aurora blinked her eyes. This was more urgent to Raven than she thought. She hoped Alice and Serena would be alright. It didn't sound too serious to her. Aurora sighed, but then wistfully laughed.

"I swear… Raven sees Serena as her own child at times. She's even more protective than I am. In any case, is there anything else of note that happened?" Aurora wondered.

"No. I'm probably just going to train and get to know Lucario and Tyranitar more before I go to bed," Ash said.

"Understandable. I'll leave you be and I look forward to testing you when I return. If you ever have to talk to me before I come back, you can contact me through your dreams if you concentrate deeply enough. All Ketchums can contact each other like that from long distances, but they both have to be sleeping for this to work. If you ever want to contact me, tap an evening nap and I'll likely be sleeping here in Hokori." Aurora told him. Ash widened his eyes. That sounded useful.

"That's actually really cool to know. I'll see you again soon, Mom!" Ash said cheerfully.

"Take care, Ash," Aurora said. Ash was about to hang up, but Aurora's eyes turned red. Ash smiled warmly at seeing Aru for the first time in a while. He noticed that Aru didn't come out as much as when Aurora was in conflict with her, but she was much calmer. Aru made a slightly content smile at her son.

"I would feel bad if I didn't come out separately in this call. I guess this is goodbye from me as well. Don't die before I come back, you hear?" Aru said cheekily. Ash laughed, but nodded.

"Of course, Mother. See you soon!" For a few moments, Ash switched between himself and Ashton while waving goodbye to his mother. Aurora did the same with Aru. Then, Aurora stayed in control and hung up.

Ash got up from his seat and sighed to himself. He then made a determined fist. Lucy seemed like she was in a bit of thought. She felt comfort in knowing that Aurora would be fine with what she decided, but she also felt conflicted about things still. Ash made a comforting smile to the Lycanroc.

"Hey… take as much time as you need to decide, alright? Don't stress yourself." Ash said soothingly.

 **"(Thank you, Ash.)"** Lucy said with appreciation.

"No problem. C'mon. Let's see what the rest of the Pokémon are up to." Ash said invitingly. Lucy nodded.

Ash and Lucy went back outside. The boy noticed that the Pokémon grew a bit more accustomed to being near each other. Lucario and Pikachu were eyeing Wasabi closely. Wasabi had blue sparks coming from her cheeks that kept alternating between blue, violet and yellow. Pikachu was trying to emulate her, but was failing. Lucario was simply interested in the learning process.

Ash saw Tyranitar sitting with Mew. Mew was floating to be eye level with Tyranitar. She seemed to be talking to him about something, though what he wasn't sure. Tyranitar seemed a bit distant. Lucy ran to meet up with Pikachu, Wasabi and Lucario. Ash made up his mind. He knew he had to talk to Tyranitar now.

* * *

 **A/N: Yet another transitional chapter to establish future events... but they are necessary. I wonder what Raven is sensing... she is like an Absol after all. Things are going to become a bit more interesting these next few chapters...**

 **I also wanted to show that Pokemon with established trainers can truly belong elsewhere. Whether Lucy will actually go with Serena is to be determined. You all will have to wait and see.**

 **Next Chapter: Cracking Through the Armor**

 **~SPG123~**


	16. Cracking Through the Armor

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! I hope you enjoy...**

 **I own the story, not the Pokemon and yadda yadda yadda... let's get on with it!**

* * *

 _"The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward." -Steve Maraboli_

* * *

Chapter 15: Cracking Through the Armor

Mew had decided to talk to Tyranitar one on one while Ash was inside to help him gain more insight on the person he signed himself up for. She talked to him about guardians, psychics and the world itself. Mew also talked about Tyranitar's status of being one of Ash's Aspects and told him what they were. Tyranitar listened intently, but was looking down all the while, trying to take everything in. He wasn't sure how to feel about all this, but he appreciated Mew trying to make things clearer to him.

Tyranitar raised an eyebrow when she mentioned how different Ash and his family was compared to other people. He had limited knowledge about aura guardians, but he was curious about what Mew meant by this. Other than changing his eye color and adopting a slightly different personality when his eyes were changed, Ash didn't seem that different from other humans. He decided to raise his inquiry to Mew.

 **"(Are Ketchums really that different from others of their species of human?)"** Tyranitar asked.

 **"(Well… yes and no.)"** Mew answered nebulously. Tyranitar was confused by the answer.

 **"(You made a point of it. How are they different?)"** The rock type asked.

 **"(Ketchums and their psychic counterparts are the first humans I made. They may look similar to other humans, but they are more similar to my legendary children in terms of destructive power. It's very frightening when you think about it… the power your trainer fails to realize he has. Never let him indulge too much in that power. You are his Aspect of Negativity, though you are more distinct than others of your title in that you are closer to the rarer title of Aspect of Life."** Mew explained.

 **"(What is this Aspect of Life?)"** Tyranitar asked.

 **"(You are the embodiment of what is both good and bad about life. Loss, growth and perseverance. You fit that more closely than any of Ash's partners. Consider being Ash's Aspect of Life more of an evolution of what the base Aspect of Negativity is. You haven't reached that point with him yet, though, so you are only his Negativity Aspect currently.)"** Mew continued

 **"(Hmm…)"** Tyranitar didn't know what to think of this.

 **"(Naturally questioning things and having a hard time believing in something at first isn't a bad thing. So many creatures in life are like this for survival. If you two are to grow strong together, you both will need to learn how to acknowledge your negativity healthily. If you do that, I see your partnership with Ash as one of the strongest I've witnessed yet.)"** Mew explained herself further. Tyranitar widened his eyes.

 **"(Wow…)"** Tyranitar said with a gasp.

Tyranitar started to ponder to himself. Being Ash's Aspect of Negativity didn't sound like a good thing to him, but from how Mew spoke, he figured it was much more than just being negative. He wondered if it was even possible to make negativity positive. Tyranitar also didn't understand how he could represent life best to Ash. Mew looked at the dark type with a patient smile.

 **"(Feel free to ask Ash more about things when you get the chance. If manage to connect with Ash and curb any spikes in negativity he has, you have nothing to worry about. Ash wouldn't harm you willingly.)"** Mew said with conviction.

 **"(Hmm…)"** Tyranitar was surprised at how confident the psychic mythical Pokémon sounded about a human. It was in this time, Ash approached Tyranitar and Mew. Ash noticed Tyranitar seemed a little down despite Mew talking with him. Mew seemed unsure at how to make him feel better.

 **"(Oh, here he comes.)"** Mew noticed Ash approaching at the corner of her eye and decided to cut herself short. She said, **"(Your trainer is special. Treasure him. Try to be a bit more open to him. I promise you he's a good one. Pokémon to Pokémon.)"**

 **"(Pokémon… to Pokémon. Right.)"** Tyranitar said with a slight nod in acknowledgment. Ash managed to get up to Tyranitar and looked up at him. Tyranitar looked down at his trainer to give him full attention. Ash was warmly smiling at his newly caught partner. It unnerved Tyranitar with how genuine it _seemed_. Tyranitar shook his head at himself. He shouldn't be thinking about his trainer deceiving him when he showed no signs of doing so.

"How are you feeling, buddy?" Ash asked curiously.

 **"(All of this feels overwhelming. Mew was just telling me about aura guardians and how you're different from most of them.)"** Tyranitar admitted and revealed. He told him everything that Mew told him except for the trust in his trainer part.

"Aspect of Life, huh? Well, that sounds really cool! Not even Mom or Grandpa has an Aspect like that. I hope you can trust me and we get to that point together!" Ash said excitedly. Mew found herself chuckling at his enthusiasm. Tyranitar seemed unsure.

 **"(I'm not sure if I can trust you, yet, though. At least, not completely.)"** Tyranitar admitted. Ash made a small frown, but wasn't surprised.

"Oh?" Ash tilted his head at that. Tyranitar started to look uncomfortable. He was looking away from his trainer.

 **"(I… still feel conflicted about coming with you, but… part of me is happy I did.)"** Tyranitar said. Ash wasn't surprised to hear this, but was glad he was beginning to warm up to him. Still, the boy knew Tyranitar wasn't done speaking. The rock type said with a frown, **"(I've gained a lot of skepticism over time because of what happened to me and my mom.)"**

"Can you tell me?" Ash asked earnestly.

 **"(…)"** Tyranitar stared into the boy as his response. Seeing as Tyranitar wasn't speaking, Ash decided to speak for him.

"I understand if you don't want to since I just reunited with you today, but… whenever you're ready I'll be your ears." Ash said. Tyranitar looked away upon hearing that. He had a pensive look in his eyes. Ash was looking at his partner, concerned.

 **"(Ash…)"** Tyranitar said in a soft voice.

"I only want you to be happy, Tyranitar. You can count on me to try my best for you, no matter what." Ash said as sincerely as he could. Tyranitar could pick up on his trainer's frankness and was baffled by it. He'd never seen a human this patient toward him before.

 **"(You confuse me so much),"** Tyranitar said in a small voice. Ash heard him and looked confused himself. The rock type continued, **"(I know you're good and yet…)"**

"You can't accept it yet, right?" Ash guessed. Tyranitar nodded sadly.

 **"(I really wish I didn't feel this way.)"** Tyranitar said with a sigh.

"That's alright," Ash said easily. He continued with a reassuring voice, "I'll be here for you even if you feel conflicted about me."

 **"(Thank you, Ash.)"** Tyranitar said gratefully.

 **"Tyranitar, perhaps you should tell Ash about what happened to your mother soon after Ash continued with his journey? I think it'll be good for you to let it all out."** Mew interjected and suggested.

 **"(…)"** Tyranitar looked away from both Ash and Mew and started to tear up. Ash looked concerned at his partner while Mew seemed like she was thinking ahead. She had the type of look where she knew the consequences of her actions, but was glad it was working. Ash didn't take notice of this.

"Tyranitar… are you-" Ash cut himself off when he noticed Tyranitar beginning to cry. Ash asked, unsure of what was wrong, "Tyranitar?"

 **"(I… failed her…)"**

"Please stop crying. Here…" Ash said as he made his left eye turn to red. He still wasn't sure how to convert aura into elemental typings without doing the aura allegiance. Raising his hands up, he blew some hot air toward Tyranitar's face. Tyranitar was slightly startled by the gentle breeze, but then realized Ash's intent. Within a few moments, Tyranitar's tears were dried.

"What happened to your mom?" Ash said, now not worrying about being too prying. He wanted to make sure his friend was going to be alright. Tyranitar seemed hesitant to say anything. Ash eyed the rock type with an earnest, but stubborn look. It was the same look as when Ash deliberately took his attacks. Tyranitar knew there was no getting out of this.

 **"(She… died a few years ago trying to protect me from poachers disguised as rangers…)"** Tyranitar admitted.

"…!" Ash was so surprised to hear this that he was speechless. The boy could see why Tyranitar hated humans now. He felt sad for his partner.

 **"(I could do nothing at the time. I failed her…)"** Tyranitar said while holding in his tears. Those words stirred something in Ash that he hadn't felt in a while. He started to frown.

"Tyranitar, do not say that again," Ash said while covering his eyes with his hat. He said it in such a low voice, the rock and dark type was starting to get a little nervous. Ash was giving off an intimidating and distant vibe that he didn't have before. His voice carried more authority than before. Tyranitar didn't dare show any fear through his voice.

 **"(Ash…? Which version of you am I speaking to?)"** When Ash looked up at Tyranitar, he got his answer. Tyranitar gasped, **"(The red eyed one?)"**

"The name's Ashton. I suppose I haven't properly introduced myself to you yet. I'm Ash's counterbalance and the second half of the aura allegiance you saw earlier." Ashton said. He continued in that same low voice, "Do not feel like you failed your mom."

Tyranitar could feel himself getting angry. He had just opened up about a traumatic experience and this boy was telling him not to feel the way he did? He couldn't believe his ears. Tyranitar started to growl at Ashton. Ashton looked at the rock type passively. Ashton had a feeling he'd react this way and was indifferent.

 **"(How would you know anything about the feeling of losing someone that close to you? She was everyone I had and knew!)"** Tyranitar hissed. Ashton's passive look turned into a more patient and understanding look. He shook his head wistfully in a way that made Tyranitar confused.

"I lost my mom, too. She was everything to me, especially since I don't know my dad." Ashton told the rock type.

 **"I…"** Tyranitar was surprised at how quickly he admitted this. He was also feeling bad now.

"I lost Mom and I nearly lost myself. I almost stopped existing because I got separated from Mom and Ash had no memory of her. My last sight of her before I found out she lived was her charred and unconscious on the ground trying to protect me." Ashton said somewhat bitterly. Tyranitar got a shiver. He never heard Ash speak like this before. He felt really bad about what he said now. Ashton continued, "Trust me, I know how you're feeling quite distinctly. It was enough for me to come out, after all."

 **"(I'm so sorry about that. I should have thought about what I said before I said it.)"** Tyranitar said from the bottom of his heart. Ashton lightheartedly laughed for a moment before appearing serious again. He wanted to make Tyranitar understand that he was alright.

"It's fine. You didn't know." Ashton said. He continued with as understanding as a voice as he could, "What happened to your mom was tragic, but you can't do anything about it. All you have to do is keep going and try to apply what you learned from her in your life. Become the best Tyranitar you can be."

 **"(…)"** Tyranitar didn't know how to respond to that.

"I… broke down thinking about how I lost Mom before, when Ash didn't remember her. I know it isn't easy. Even though I was fortunate in meeting her again, the nine years I thought she was dead was so painful. I kept thinking it was my fault for not doing more. I know you did what you could like I did nine years ago." Ashton said.

 **"(I… tried my best, but…)"** Tyranitar started, but Ashton interrupted him.

"Don't add a 'but' to that sentence. Treasure the time you had with her, but don't let it consume you like I did. Live for her. I know she'd want you to be happy." Ashton said with a smile.

 **"(I… thank you, Ashton.)"** Tyranitar replied. Ash's eyes turned back into brown.

"I'm not sure if I can ever get you to trust humans completely. I totally understand if you choose to not like them. However, I also want you to understand that not all humans are evil. So many of us are kind and sweet. Even if you don't trust humans, I do want you to trust me, or at the very least, be comfortable around me." Ash said while bringing out his hand. To his surprise, Tyranitar placed a claw in his hand and started to shake it.

 **"(I… feel like that won't be a problem.)"** Tyranitar said with a smile himself.

"Tyranitar…" Ash was so happy, he wasn't sure how to put his feelings into words.

 **"(Thank you for the kind words, Ash and Ashton. I'm grateful to see that at least you didn't change for the worst.)"** Tyranitar said.

"Like I said, I want the best for you. We're gonna get strong together and we're gonna help each other improve." Ash said excitedly. His face grew more serious as he said, "I really hope you'll be happy with me and that I'll be the trainer you deserve. If you ever want to, I can release you. Don't ever feel pressured to doing something you don't want."

 **"(I… doubt that will happen. I want to at least get to know you again. I look forward to getting strong with you, too.)"** Tyranitar said with a grin.

"Tyranitar, first thing tomorrow morning, I wanna see what tricks you managed to get over time. I also want to see a way we can work together to fit your style." Ash told him. Tyranitar nodded.

 **"(If you're up for it, I have something for you to do tomorrow, actually.)"** Mew popped back into the conversation. Ash and Tyranitar nearly forgot she had been there.

"What is it?" Ash asked curiously.

 **"(I want you to find a Tyranitarite I've hidden for you. You may only bring Tyranitar and Lucario for this. Consider this a trial.)"** Mew quickly explained.

 _"Not another trial…"_ Ash groaned his thoughts. Mew didn't seem too surprised at the Ketchum's response.

 **"(It's to your long-term benefit. You can choose to decline, you know.)"** Mew said. Ash rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't want to decline to chance to get closer with my partners and I know you know that." Ash sighed. Mew chuckled.

 **"(That's exactly why I catered this challenge to how you are as a person. I know you better than you think.)"** Mew said. Ash didn't like how well Mew knew him. Part of him wondered if she was manipulating him to do what she wanted. He could never know with that Pokémon. Ash decided to focus his attention on Tyranitar.

"Are you up for this, Tyranitar?" Ash asked his reptilian partner.

 **"(What's a Tyranitarite?)"** Tyranitar asked curiously. Ash quickly explained to him what Mega Evolution was and that certain Pokémon had a specific stone that allowed them to change forms. Tyranitar immediately thought about how Ash could change Lucario's form and grew curious. He said, **"(I see. Should be interesting to battle alongside you, Ash. I wonder how I would feel in that form. I heard from my mom that Tyranitars often lose themselves if they get too much power. I wonder if she was talking about Mega Evolution back then…)"**

"Well, if it comes to that, I'll be there for you and I will do what I can to get you back, no matter what. Hopefully, it won't come to that." Ash said as soothingly as he could. Tyranitar looked appreciative at his trainer. Ash turned to Mew, "Where did you hide Tyranitar's Mega Stone?"

 **"(I hid it in the caves slightly below ground. Once you find the area, you'll have to battle two of my legendary guardians.)"** Mew told them.

"…Legendary guardians? Who?" Ash asked nervously.

 **"(Regirock and Regice. They haven't seen you in three years because I relieved them of their duty by being more active myself. I'm sure they'll like the excitement of battling you. Be sure to tell Lucario about this.)"** Mew said, looking toward Lucario. She noticed Wasabi was now manipulating her electricity in different shapes and Lucario looking in awe.

"Right," Ash said as he nodded.

 **"(For now, I'll leave you to your devices. I'll come back when you wake up to see you off. Best of luck tomorrow, Ash.)"** With that, Mew teleported away from the duo. Ash didn't know what to think about Mew while Tyranitar was feeling a bit more liberated.

 **"(Do you think we'll be able to beat two legendaries by ourselves?)"** Tyranitar asked. Ash looked up at Tyranitar with a confident grin.

"I have full faith we will. I believe in you and Lucario." Ash replied.

 **"(That's… comforting to hear.)"** Tyranitar said with softened eyes.

For the rest of the night, Ash decided to interact with the different Pokémon. He could see how experienced Wasabi was and wondered how strong she was. He knew that she had to be incredibly strong to take out one of Alice's guardian partners and Gordo's Pokémon without showing signs of being close to fainting. He found himself wanting to battle her one day. He noticed Pikachu seeing Wasabi as a mentor of sorts as he was trying to emulate her. It was nice to see Pikachu willing to learn from a Raichu instead of stubbornly dealing with a Raichu.

Lucy was enjoying Wasabi's show of technique and decided to join in on the fun. She was manipulating her Stone Edge attack to form different rocky shapes. Lucy created a Pikachu-like rock and gave it to Pikachu. She even carved out eye sockets for the rocky Pikachu with one of her claws. Pikachu seemed tickled by this. Tyranitar was impressed and Lucario was in awe. Ash loved how nice Aurora's Pokémon were. He wanted to meet more of them soon.

Ash approached Lucario and told her of his plans tomorrow and asked if she was willing to come with him. Lucario nodded eagerly and looked determined. Ash was happy at seeing Lucario's enthusiasm. He may have had faith in his Pokémon, but he also had to wonder if Mew had some sort of ulterior motive to tomorrow. She always was thinking several steps ahead.

About an hour later, Ash saw Gordo returning to the house. The mahogany haired male looked at his grandson curiously and wondered what was happening. Ash quickly explained what happened with Serena's second trial and where Alice and Serena were now. He also explained what Mew wanted him to do tomorrow. Gordo frowned after hearing the news, but decided to focus on his grandson instead.

He decided to teach Ash a new technique as per Alice's suggestion. Breathing in and out slowly, Ash could feel Gordo's aura slowly rising. He told Ash that this technique was useful in building up aura for a strong attack or to defend against a good hit. It was similar to Charge as an attack. Gordo explained that it was important to do this on the fly as sometimes your initial attack fails to do much or to get a minor defense boost.

Gordo decided to showcase the technique. He gestured Ash to hit him. Ash, looking at his elder in shock, shook his head heavily. He never wanted to strike any of his family down. To get Ash to do what he wanted, he told him to consider this a sparring session of sorts, but Ash still refused. Ash knew it wasn't actually a sparring session. Gordo sighed. He didn't want to resort to this, but he didn't have the patience for his grandson's unwillingness to fight.

Gordo's eyes began to glow red tauntingly as he stared into Ash a few moments. Ash was confused by the eye contact, but after a few moments, Ash could feel himself feeling unnaturally upset. Ash began to glare at Gordo angrily. Gordo was surprised the boy wasn't outright attacking him or being in his face in anger. Gordo noted the self-control Ash had as a person.

"Why do I feel so angry?! What did you do to me?" Ash roared.

Gordo blinked his eyes at the intensity of his questions. It was strange, but he felt really excited at seeing Ash like this. He deduced it probably was because he was too used to Ash being so well mannered. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts.

"I emulated Taunt on you. Now attack me already! I'll let the effect wear off once you attack me." Gordo said. Ash was scowling at him, but didn't hesitate to create a bone club of aura. Gordo smirked in challenge, creating his own.

Ash hit Gordo on his left arm as hard as he could to show how annoyed he was to be taunted. Gordo intentionally took the hit, but slid on the ground from the impact. Red sparks hit Gordo's arm upon impact to show that Gordo's earlier built up aura softened the blow. Two 'z' like marks suddenly appeared on either side of Gordo's cheeks. Gordo's marks began to glow red as he approached Ash at a breakneck pace to retaliate. Ash was quick to respond and he used his bone club to take the strike. Ash had a hard time contesting Gordo's strength up close. Gordo's bone club was glowing red like his marks.

Eventually, Gordo managed to push Ash back. When he landed his hit successfully, Gordo's bone club and marks stopped glowing red. Ash narrowed his eyes in observation. Gordo suddenly winced and clutched his arm in pain despite his built-up aura from before. He took a moment to rub his arm. Ash was still looking at him angrily, but he wasn't attacking now that he did his grandfather's request.

"Gah… you hit hard. I like that. The emulation worked better than I expected." Gordo commented. Ash made his weapon disappear, but was still irate. Ash was glaring at him in a way that was making him feel both amused and nervous. Seeing the Ketchum glare from Ash was a nice change of pace.

"Grandpa, fix me," Ash demanded. Gordo shrugged playfully.

"I don't know. You being like this is interesting to see…" Gordo teased with a chuckle. At this point, Ash's eyes were glowing blue and he was snarling at his grandfather. He lost all semblance of his earlier patience.

"Fix me already!" Ash said while he clutched Gordo's shirt and lifted him into the air slightly. His left eye was now red as he glared at him. Gordo had changed into another shirt during the day after he ripped his first one. Gordo gasped and gazed at his grandson in shock. His amusement turned into concern for the boy.

 _"He's finally showing the confrontational behavior I expected from him at first. Better not mess with the fire too much…"_ Gordo thought grimly. He said aloud, "Alright. Look into my eyes again."

Gordo's eyes began to glow red as he gazed into Ash's angered heterochromatic eyes. After a few moments, Ash felt himself calming down. He held his head with his free hand, trying to understand what just happened. He immediately gasped when he realized he had Gordo in a rough grip, lifting his body like it was nothing. He immediately let go and looked away, ashamed. His left eye also turned back to brown. Gordo dusted himself off slightly, then regarded Ash warmly.

"I'm so sorry for what I just did to you. I would never…" Ash started to apologize, but Gordo interrupted him by disarmingly laughing.

"Hahahahaha! Don't worry. I know you wouldn't clutch my shirt like that normally." Gordo said with a smile. Ash grew irritated by the old man, but he wasn't nearly as angry as before.

"Even still, using Taunt on me wasn't okay, Grandpa," Ash grumbled. Gordo shrugged.

"I would apologize, but… I wouldn't have resorted to that if you had hit me in the first place. I get that you don't like to fight, but refusing to fight will complicate things occasionally, as we saw. Look, I didn't get hurt from you hitting me." Gordo said while flexing his biceps. Ash saw a clear bruise from where he was stuck. Ash frowned, unimpressed.

"Your arm is sore from my hit. Imagine if I had been angry enough to hit you with Ashton. What were you thinking? I didn't want to hurt you!" Ash said in both concern and annoyance. Gordo rubbed behind his head and laughed nervously.

"You sound just like Alice when scolding me… oof." Gordo sighed. Gordo then said in a more serious tone, "I'm tough and I was prepared for that. It's okay. The next time I ask you to hit me, hit me. I don't want to force you out of character temporarily just to teach you something. I also don't want to take a harsh blow like that again for a demonstration. You seriously pack a powerful punch."

Ash was feeling awful that he did hurt Gordo. He knew that Gordo didn't mind, but he did. He didn't like to hurt anything, especially after his survival trial. He sighed to himself, but he was glad that things didn't go too far like back then.

"I guess? Me acting like that felt… wrong. Don't do that again." Ash requested. Gordo immediately nodded.

"I won't… trust me. You're quite the aggressive person when taunted and it seemed to be getting worse the longer you were in that state. I wouldn't want you to put yourself… or others in danger. Now try the technique I did earlier." Gordo instructed.

Ash tried his hardest to emulate his grandfather, but no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn't replicate what he saw earlier. Gordo was eyeing Ash closely as he attempted to copy him. Gordo then snapped his fingers as he figured out what was wrong.

"Heh. Seems like being a hothead runs in the family…" Gordo chuckled.

"Hey…" Ash said with a frown.

Gordo sat down with his legs in a pretzel shape. He gestured Ash to follow suit. Ash obliged and they sat across from each other. Gordo then stared into Ash intently, studying his expression. He was understandably confused. Then, the old man touched Ash's cheek with his right index finger. Ash blinked at the touch, then became wide-eyed when his marks started to glow. Gordo looked the calmest Ash had ever seen him. He looked more patient than normal, too. The boy could tell he was taking this much more seriously than earlier.

"I mean no harm, Ash. I just mean it's harder for you to calm yourself quickly. Try to think of something to help ease your emotions for a moment and tap into that feeling. Then, feel your aura surround and empower you. Your aura is active since I spurred your power, so it's up to you to perform. You got this, young-un." Gordo said, gazing at his grandson confidently.

"Right…," Ash said with a nod.

Ash took a deep breath and began to concentrate. He tried to think of something that would cause him to calm down easily. His mind instantly went to Serena. Just thinking about her was enough to calm him down when Ashton and him weren't getting along. Ash felt his body relaxing as he let his aura envelop him. Gordo was looking at Ash in approval.

The aura that enveloped him was enough to create a minor protective shield around him. Gordo could sense his aura building up. Now, it was time to test it.

Gordo curled his fist and took a deep breath. His closed his eyes and frowned. Ash gulped as he knew Gordo's intent. Considering how strong Gordo was physically, he didn't want a bruise like him. Ash was surprised when Gordo lightly slapped his back instead of punching his shoulder. The aura bounced the hit off like it was nothing and blue sparks showed it. Gordo looked ecstatic. Gordo smiled proudly at Ash and gave him a nuggie in elation. Ash screamed in both slight discomfort and surprise at the sudden nuggie. Gordo was laughing.

"Grandpa, let me go," Ash said while laughing himself. Gordo obliged, but he had messed up Ash's hair. Ash was happy seeing Gordo like this because he was used to seeing Gordo being abrasive. The teen was surprised that he could bring out his grandfather's softer side. He wondered if he could get Gordo's softer side to come out toward Serena someday. He knew it wasn't the time to mention Serena, though.

"Haha! I knew you had it in you!" Gordo complimented. Gordo continued, "Keep working on it and you'll be able to block off stronger hits much easier. That was a pretty good attempt!"

"Thank you for teaching me," Ash said with gratitude. Gordo gave him a thumb's up.

"Not a problem, young'un. There are so many things you can do with proper training. I'll continue to see if I can help mold you into a well-rounded master guardian one day. Now I think you should go to bed. You've been through a lot today." Gordo pointed out.

"I'm not that tired," Ash said as he yawned. Gordo snorted and shook his head.

"Says the boy that yawned," Gordo said with a sigh. He got up from the ground and used his aura grip to force Ash to stand. Ash looked at his grandfather, unsure of what he was going to do.

"H-hey!" Ash said as Gordo picked him up in his arms. Since Ash wasn't little anymore, he couldn't put the youngster on his back, so he settled with the next best thing. Ash was feeling embarrassed being carried bridal style by his grandfather, but had to admit, he was feeling pretty tired. Gordo was concerned about Ash based on how he used his technique and figured rest would help. He didn't care how awkward Ash felt as long as he was alright.

Gordo started to walk toward the Pokémon with Ash in his arms. The Pokémon looked at Ash and Gordo in confusion, especially since Gordo was holding him. Ash was blushing at their reaction. Pikachu didn't attempt to hide his laughter. Ash looked at his first Pokémon, very annoyed.

 **"(Turned into a bit of a baby, huh?)"** Pikachu jeered. Ash crossed his arms.

"If I'm such a baby, then a baby can't really feed you ketchup tomorrow morning, right?" Ash's eyes temporarily turned red as he retorted. Pikachu gasped and immediately looked for forgiveness.

 **"(Not that! Anything but that! I won't call you a baby again! I swear!)"** Pikachu begged. Ashton smirked and made his eyes go back to brown.

"Humph." Now it was Ash's turn to be amused at Pikachu's expense. Gordo found himself amused by the interaction.

"I'm aware of how embarrassing this is for you a teenager, so I'll put ya down," Gordo said in a relenting tone. He put Ash down. Ash thanked him under his breath. However, Gordo said with a deadly stern tone, "However, you need to go to bed. It's past one at this point and I'm not accepting 'no' as an answer. I don't care that you're sixteen when it comes to sleep. Sleep is important, especially when you're tired."

"Right. Everyone, return." Ash said as he returned Lucario and Tyranitar into their capsules. Pikachu jumped on his shoulder.

Wasabi found herself chuckling at the chain of events, then shrugged. She looked at Ash closely for the first time in nine years. She noticed that his spirit was burning just as brightly as it did when he was seven, but noticed a distinct sadness in his eyes. No… not sadness… fear. The mouse wondered if he was afraid of someone or himself? Based on what she saw with Ash's and Gordo's interaction when learning, it seemed like the boy was afraid of himself. Wasabi tilted her head. She wondered what Ash had been through the past nine years.

 **"(Young master, I look forward to engaging with you at some point. Thank you for caring for Little Chu. I'm happy that you've made him so happy.)"** Wasabi said from the bottom of her heart. Ash smiled at that.

"I look forward to battling you as well. Also, I care about all my Pokémon. I'm glad that I've been good to Pikachu and I'm happy he's happy with me. You seem to be in a league of your own and that excites me. You also really seem really technical like Mom." Ash pointed out. Wasabi chucked at the praise. She rubbed her head with the tip of her tail bashfully.

 **"(Well, Aurora showed me a lot over the years. It would be unfortunate not to show some qualities of her by now, right?)"** Wasabi responded.

"I guess. I hope I can see you again at some point." Ash said. Wasabi made a small smile.

 **"(I'm sure we will. For now, I'm gonna go to sleep myself. I'm really exhausted since I had to go through a gauntlet of Lycanrocs without healing. It didn't help that Serena blundered a bit defeating them, but it was alright. I know she's not too experienced of a trainer and I'm an unfamiliar Pokémon to her.)"** Wasabi said.

"Thank you so much for protecting Serena earlier. I'm so glad she's okay." Ash thanked the electric type.

 **"(Not a problem. You know… Serena seems to care a lot about you, but I'm concerned that she would blindingly try to keep you happy at the expense of hers.)** " Wasabi told him. Ash looked grimly at the Raichu. He agreed with her.

"I know. I don't want her to feel like she needs to be miserable for me. I want the best for her. Most importantly, I want _her_ to be happy." Ash said in such a warm voice that it made Gordo raise an eyebrow. He seemed to be feeling conflicted. He then shook his head.

"The girl has a spark, sure, but I still would be wary of her," Gordo admitted, but advised. Ash shook his head.

"Why should I be wary when she hasn't given me any reason to? She loves me and I love her. I don't see that changing." Ash argued. Gordo looked at his grandson in sadness. He closed his eyes and shook his head in disagreement. His response carried out to be softer than Ash had ever heard from him.

"Ash, life will often twist what you think is good into something awful. So many scars may form that you may never recover from. I…" Gordo looked like he was about to elaborate, but decided against it. He shook his head and said, "I don't want to keep you up any longer. Just be wary, is all. I… don't want see my kin barely alive in front of me again because of someone I used to think was good…"

Ash knew exactly what he was referencing. He remembered the vision Mew showed of what happened after he had been separated from his biological family. He witnessed Gordo desperately hoping that he could revive Aurora since he thought Ash himself had died at the time. Delia scarred everyone in family to some varying degree, but Ash knew Delia wasn't the only example Gordo was thinking of. He seemed to be holding on the past too much for Delia to be the only person. He wondered who else Gordo had trusted in the past that was a psychic.

"Grandpa… can you tell me more about what you mean later?" Ash requested. Gordo was frowning, but nodded.

"Eventually. Just ask again when we're alone." Gordo said.

"Of course," Ash responded.

With that, Wasabi waved them goodbye and ran off toward the forest again. Ash kept waving until he couldn't see her. Lucy decided to move right near the front door and sit down. She was looking up at the moon, seemingly waiting. Ash was a bit surprised about this and then remembered that she was one of Serena's Aspects. It would make sense that she would want to greet her when she returned. Gordo gently pushed him toward the door. Ash looked at him and noticed that he was hiding his pain.

"C'mon now. In you go." Gordo said in a lighthearted voice. Ash, though concerned about his grandfather, decided to play along.

"G'night Grandpa," Ash said while stretching himself.

"Good night, Ash," Gordo replied.

Ash went inside, changed into more comfortable night clothing and fell asleep nearly instantly once he got into his bed. Gordo made sure to check that Ash was comfortable and even making sure he was tucked in properly. He left the boy's room and sat down in the living room, deep in thought.

 _"I know Ash isn't little anymore, but he's… so innocent still. I won't ever let anything happen to him. I will protect him from anything that will cause him scars or things that would make him resent his choices. Safe dreams, Ash. May you never become like me…"_ Gordo thought with closed eyes.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I always like when I write a chapter specifically focusing on character interactions. Hopefully, Tyranitar will continue to warm up to Ash.**

 **The next few chapters are going to focus on Serena and what happened to her and Alice as they went to Hokori and get Serena's gift. I hope you'll enjoy the ride as it happens!**

 **Next Chapter:** **An Intriguing Encounter**


	17. An Intriguing Encounter

**A/N: Apologies for not having the preview chapter up last week. I was at a family vacation with limited access to my computer as a result. However, now that I'm back, there should be no issues. This chapter should hopefully be interesting...**

 **As always, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, but I do own my ideas.**

* * *

 _"I finally figured out that not every crisis can be managed. As much as we want to keep ourselves safe, we can't protect ourselves from everything. If we want to embrace life, we also have to embrace chaos." ― Susan Elizabeth Phillips_

* * *

Chapter 16: An Intriguing Encounter

Serena and Alice flew at a breakneck pace through the sky. Volc was very fast… much faster than Serena anticipated. He traversed the sky so expertly. Before long, Alice and Serena stopped seeing forests below and saw water underneath them instead. The water seemed to be sparkling more than normal. The moon was present in the sky and it seemed to be more pronounced.

Alice and Serena said nothing to each other during the trip. Alice was focusing on what was in front of her, still feeling too guilty to say anything to Serena. Serena was hoping that Alice wouldn't strand her somewhere. She couldn't believe she was trusting the old lady, but she was curious to see if she could really gift someone a partner Pokémon. Serena focused on that thought to put her at ease. Since Alice was flying over the ocean, she doubted Alice was planning on dropping her here. The girl knew that Alice cared too much about Ash to do that.

The trip between the two was awkward. Instead of looking ahead, Serena kept looking to her side. She was trying not to hold on to Alice, but only did so she wouldn't fall off. Alice kept looking on ahead with no signs of acknowledgment of the previous day. Her brown eyes seemed to glisten with the water. She was enjoying riding on her Volcarona, but the tense atmosphere made her sad. She wasn't sure what to say to make things less tense.

Serena had been tempted to ask her more about this breeding place they were going to, but was too nervous to say much. Though she acknowledged that Alice was much easier to approach than her husband, she also knew that their relationship was a bit complicated. The girl was afraid of how cold and distant she would be without Ash. She decided to keep looking on to her side in boredom instead.

Eventually, after a couple of hours of riding, Serena noticed a mysterious shroud of gas up ahead. It was an eerie purple that compassed the middle of an otherwise verdant area. She could see several berry trees and bushes in the distance as well. Alice frowned at the gas, but was slightly surprised not to hear any sort of reaction to the gas from Serena. Alice narrowed her eyes in observation. They passed by Shingetsu Town. Alice looked at her house wistfully as they passed. She missed it.

Within a few moments, Volc managed to pass through Yousei City. Serena was astonished at how different it appeared compared to Shingetsu Town. Yousei appeared like a more modernized version of Shingetsu with all of its buildings mixed with berry trees at the end of its sidewalks. They then flew over a small town built within a wide field. Serena noticed there was a gym in this town. Serena also noticed that they were headed toward a large grassy field north of the town since Volc was beginning to descend.

* * *

As they passed by, two Dendo civilians noticed the large moth-like Pokémon passing through the city and noted the unusual occurrence. If something was in the sky, it would normally be Igor's Dragalia roaming the sky. They looked at the sight of the Volcarona, puzzled.

The first civilian was a young man in his twenties with small glasses. He had short, curly auburn hair with bright green eyes, a beige collared and buttoned shirt with jeans. The other person was a tall lady with long platinum blond hair that went up to her upper waist. She was wearing a simple uncollared black shirt with a male Pyroar in the middle and red shorts. The main had a beige small backpack while the lady had a small black purse. The two decided to move into an empty alleyway to discuss. The man was the first to respond.

"Hey…." The red-haired man said.

"You saw what I saw, right?" The woman asked. The man nodded.

"Yeah. A Volcarona was roaming the sky. How peculiar." The woman noted.

"Volcarona isn't indigenous to Hokori, though. It's a rare Pokémon to even have in Unova." The man said and noted as well. They began to think about what they just saw more closely.

"Exactly. There were two people on it, too. One of them was clearly the Champion's mother. Alison is her name, if memory serves. I know she owns a Volcorona. No one else in the region has long greying black hair like that and wears something so… old. The other person looked like some girl, but I don't recognize her." The woman stated.

"Think Aurora had more than one child? Alison and the girl looked close." The man pondered. The blond woman immediately shook her head.

"No… and that's what makes this sighting intriguing. They looked like they were heading to Dendo Town's Breeding Sanctuary. Let's investigate, shall we?" The woman said with a devious smile. The man suddenly grew a bit fearful.

"What about that crazy old woman who runs the place? I heard tales of how she can knock someone out with a single swing of her cane when she's angry enough." The man said while shuddering. The woman rolled her eyes.

"That woman is old as dirt and blind. There's no way she could do anything about us. We're guardians like her. We outnumber her and we have younger blood. This can be our chance to move up on the food chain. Why don't you want to take it?" The woman said eagerly.

"I…" The man didn't know how to respond to her.

"Come on, Jacob. What other chance do we have to gather info on the Ketchums?" The woman urged.

"That's not why I'm concerned. I'm more concerned about Alison. She's a scary guardian duelist known to make you question if you even hit her in a fight. I don't think we can take on both Alison and the crazy breeder lady, Kat." Jacob said.

"That doesn't matter me. I know they're stronger than us, but we have the element of surprise on our side." Kat continued.

"Ever the ambitious one…" Jacob sighed.

"We have to at least try. I don't want to stay at the bottom of the totem pole forever. It's not completely unheard of for guardians to move up in the team. Let's at least eavesdrop and try to take a small video of what they say. If we can do that undetected, we'd have done our part. Maybe Mr. Doku can give us a promotion!" Kat said excitedly. Jacob shook his head, but agreed with her.

"One can hope. Let's do this… discreetly." Jacob said. Kat happily hugged her partner before moving on north toward the fields. Jacob quickly moved to catch up.

A few moments after the hopeful guardians left, a shroud of dark aura appeared with a person inside. Her normally sad grey eyes were filled with determination. Raven was frowning, but thought, _"I knew scum would be hiding here. They're not getting a video on my watch…"_

* * *

Once they were above Mufasa Fields, Alice had Volc fly in place as she tried to look for Marge's Breeding Sanctuary. Mufasa Fields was such a large area that it was hard to find anything. However, Alice soon spotted the breeding center in the middle of the field. It had a bit of a rustic look and although it was getting close to dawn, the place seemed just as lively as it was during the middle of the day. A few paces near the breeding center was a small wooden house.

Serena found herself amazed at the sight. She could see a good amount of small Pokémon, especially Pikachu, coming toward someone behind the house. The person in question was an old dark-skinned lady with long white hair in rags. She was feeding them Oran Berries while sitting down on a stump. There was a green and white staff right next to her. Alice took a small peek behind her to see if Serena's expression had changed and she noticed the excitement in her eyes. She had to hide a chuckle as she directed Volc down toward the old lady.

As they landed, the Pikachu and other Pokémon suddenly became frightened and ran off. The old lady wondered where their unease came from as she could not sense anything on the ground. She then sensed the air and found something familiar. The woman had her eyes closed, but she had a great understanding of her surroundings. She had a peaceful smile.

Alice helped Serena off her Volcarona. Serena appreciated it. Serena then inspected the old lady. Serena had met this lady once before, a few days after she and Ash had moved in with Aurora. Marge had decided to visit now that Ash had reunited with Aurora and decided to show him more about sensing his surroundings. Serena didn't see too much of the lesson as Aurora had decided to help her with her performances that day. Serena wasn't sure if the old lady remembered her, though.

"Well, if it isn't the shy girl from the Tree! Serena, was it?" Marge said.

"You… remember me?" Serena blinked her eyes in surprise. Marge seemed tickled at how surprised she was.

"Hahaha… of course I do. Your aura is radiant. It's so unique, I had to ask Aurora who you were." Marge described. Serena found herself blushing at her description. She never thought of her aura appearing radiant to people. It felt like high praise. The old lady continued, "Speaking of the Pokémon Lady, she's been taking quite a few names the past day from what I heard some visitors say. She doesn't seem to be holding back as much, which surprises me and a lot of others."

"Ah… that's my girl. Ash likely had a hand in that. I feel like he rekindled her battling spirit, especially since I know she wants him to fight her for her Championship one day. This is probably her way of practicing." Alice said proudly.

"I see. Things will be exciting then! Hopefully, I can live long enough to sense that come to pass…" Marge said in a calm voice. Serena remembered that this woman was at least twenty years older than Alice, whom she already considered fairly old. She also knew Aurora to consider this lady as her unrelated grandma. Just as the girl began to wonder the woman's age, Marge had picked up on this. She responded to Serena's thought by saying, "I'm ninety, dear. I should be turning ninety-one later in May, but I'm just as active as ever!"

"Woah…" Serena said in shock. Marge didn't look that old to her, but Serena knew looks could be deceiving. Marge's clover-like mark on her head began to glow as she inspected Alice and Serena more closely.

"I sense a bit of awkwardness between you two, but less bad blood. That's good. I wonder what caused the change…" Marge now opened her eyes and showed how cloudy they were. Despite her blindness, she was looking directly at Alice with a serious expression. Her eyes seemed to scan Alice. Marge seemed to know the answer to her own observation, but wanted Alice to formally acknowledge it.

"Let's just say… Serena proved herself capable to me." Alice said. Marge began to laugh loudly. The old lady was hysterical. Serena wondered what was so funny. Alice sweatdropped. She didn't like the sound of that laugh. It was the type of laugh where she knew Marge was going to make her uncomfortable in some way. She'd been around the old lady long enough.

"If you think I'd accept that as the main reason, you have another thing coming. You were always a softie for your little one, though he isn't so little anymore." Marge continued to chuckle. Alice found herself somewhat embarrassed, but didn't deny the lady. Marge continued, "He proved his love to her, didn't he? I know you well, Miss Romantic. You're not one to give someone with psychic blood a chance otherwise."

"Miss Romantic?" Serena now looked at Alice curiously. For the first time ever, Serena noticed Alice blushing. Alice looked at Marge, highly irritated. Marge merely seemed tickled.

"Don't tell her that story! It's embarrassing enough that you mentioned that…" Alice hissed.

"Hahahaha! I'll respect your wish... for now." Marge said with a slight pout. Serena was beginning to like this oddball of a lady. She had to hide a chuckle. If they ever were alone, she wondered if she could get Marge to talk more about Ash's family in the past.

"I can't believe you read me…" Alice started with a facepalm, but Marge interrupted her to finish her statement.

"'…Like an open book.' Naturally, dear." Marge said with a chuckle. Marge then said in a much more serious tone, "Remember my mantra? Don't blind yourself in delusion. It has taken your family for you to begin to see that not all psychics are bad and I'm happy to see the clouds of hatred beginning to leave your mind. I was worried you'd be unwilling to change."

"…" Alice didn't know how to respond to that. Marge turned her attention to the honey blond teen.

"As for you, Serena, you hesitate to trust Alice from what I sense. Like Alice, Ash is what causes you to interact with her. If you two are to grow together, I feel like two need to talk things out without Ash being a major influence." Marge advised.

"…" Serena was now left silent. Alice and Serena looked at each other awkwardly, then looked away. Marge seemed to be enjoying every moment of their discomfort. She was grinning mischievously, but decided to close her eyes again. Serena felt like the grin was out of place on an otherwise tranquil looking old woman.

"Jeez, I haven't felt this exposed in a while. You are probably the only nice person that scares me because of how accurate you are with your aura sense." Alice said with a sigh.

"Aura sense?" Serena reiterated, unsure of what that meant.

"Aura sense is the ability to see all aura around you, external or internal. Since I've been blind my entire life, I've had to rely on being able to 'see' that way. I suppose ninety years of refinement gets you a bit of a reputation." Marge explained and ended with a bit of a cackle.

"Because of this, people call Marge the best senser in the world. We just witnessed how terrifyingly accurate her ability is." Alice supplemented.

"I wouldn't call it terrifying, silly Zangoose," Marge said while picking up her staff like cane. Alice suddenly looked terrified.

"Oh no…" She knew the moment Marge had her cane what was about to happen. Marge immediately wacked her on the head with her staff. The force was so great that it knocked the elderly lady off balance. Alice screamed, "Ack!"

"I'd call it an… intriguing ability." Marge said casually. Alice was unable to get up for several moments.

"Ugggghh..." Alice groaned in pain. Serena suddenly looked at Marge terrified when she noticed an impish look come her way. She backed away slightly. Marge laughed.

"Please… don't do that to me." Serena requested. Marge's expression grew serious as she shook her head.

"Unfortunately, you're too delicate for me to wack you… for now. I don't want to actually cause permanent damage to your head." Marge said, slightly disappointed. Serena was grateful that she managed to avoid Marge's odd sense of affection temporarily. Marge continued, "Now… what can I do you for? I very much doubt you'd visit me at the crack of dawn when I'm making my first rounds if it wasn't for a good reason."

"I want to give Serena a gift for putting up with my nonsense. I feel like she deserves something special for her devotion to Ash." Alice said after recovering from the devastating blow. She was holding her head slightly still.

"I see. Another Happy incident, then?" Marge guessed.

"Yep," Alice confirmed.

"Sure. Let's go see what eggs I have that might become close to Serena when it hatches. Alice, be a dear and show her around where I keep the Pokémon eggs. I do want to make my morning rounds still, but once I'm back, I'll help you determine the perfect partner for her." Marge told the younger elderly woman.

"Got it," Alice said with a nod. Serena was surprised that Alice was willing to do this for her. She knew that Alice wanted to reward her, but Serena was shocked that she was going out of her way to do so. The girl was wondering if Alice was normally this generous or she felt so bad that she needed to do something extra special.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Enjoy roaming the fields!" Marge said as she got up and slowly walked away from the two. She closed her eyes and began sensing the entire field. She made a small frown momentarily, but then continued her impish smile from before. She decided to head south since she noticed something unusual in that direction.

* * *

Kat and Jacob ran through Mufasa Fields as fast as they could. The luscious grass was seemingly slowing them down, but the two hopefuls didn't care. Even if they got an idea of what Alice and Serena were doing, that was enough for them. Unfortunately for the two, Mufasa Fields was massive. Kat hated that Marge had decided to put her house and the breeding facility in the middle of the field. She had to wonder how the lady was able to walk all the way to the city and back.

A lot of Pokémon was still sleeping, so the two guardians were thankful that they couldn't be randomly encountered. Kat gasped as they were beginning to see Marge's wooden house in the distance. However, before the woman could process her excitement, Kat and Jacob both got stuck by aura spheres. The two were knocked back, both surprised and confused at the sudden hit.

"An ambush? At this hour?" Kat groaned.

"We know you are a guardian. Reveal yourself!" Jacob growled

Jacob's demand was met with another two aura spheres coming out of nowhere. This time, they both reacted in time. Kat and Jacob redirected the attack back at the direction it was sent, but sucked their teeth when it hit nothing. The two guardians looked around themselves and saw nothing. They both even resorted to using aura vision, but couldn't detect anything abnormal. The two was puzzled, but not deterred.

"Fine. Be that way. We have ways to reveal you." Jacob said. He knew he had to be going against a very experienced guardian, but also wasn't that scared.

Jacob went into his bag and took out a ball-like machine. It appeared similar to a Poké Ball, except it was silver in color with a red button in the middle. It formed clear smoke that only affected aura guardians. He pressed the button and then applied a clear patch on his skin. Kat did the same thing with her skin. The patch was absorbed into their skin.

The ambusher suddenly seemed much more in pain. She grunted as she finally revealed herself in front of them. Raven had small blue sparks entangling her body like it was suffocating to her. Kat and Jacob looked at their attacker in shock.

"Ach… what is this… contraption?" Raven hissed as she found herself stunned. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move. She was looking at them with a dangerous glare and barred her teeth slightly.

"Raven of Midnight City? What's she doing here?" Jacob wondered. Kat shook her head and pointed ahead.

"It doesn't matter. We need to go. Now! This video is even more important than I thought." Kat said. She knew that Raven usually didn't like to leave her town. Although she wondered why she was close to the Ketchums and how she knew they would be here, she didn't ponder on it too much.

"You will not escape my reach no matter what you do to me, grunts. The capsule has to be of recent Zurui tech. I would have been more discrete in your shoes if I had a target, but you led me right to you. Don't be so loud talking about your plans next time." Raven said tauntingly.

"Big talk of someone who can't move," Kat said with a bit of laugh. Raven's eyes began to glow and the marks on her hand the same color as her eyes. She began to shudder despite being affected by the capsule. Kat's smugness suddenly turned into a bit of fear.

"You underestimate me. I've always had several bags of tricks…" Raven said with a determined expression. It looked like it was taking her a lot of effort to resist the stunning properties of the tech the duo used against her, but she was doing it. She was scowling at them, but approaching them slowly.

"Kat, go!" Jacob said suddenly.

"What? I don't want to leave y-…" Kat started, but was pushed by her partner. Jacob shook his head and interrupted her.

"Go! I'll hold her off as best I can. Send what you record to the boss! Quickly!" Jacob stressed.

"Jacob!" Kat said to voice her objection, but the red-haired man wasn't having any of that.

"I'll… be fine! Go! You want this more than me." Jacob said. Kat seemed so conflicted, but decided not to fight him anymore. She started to run toward the breeding center. Jacob solemnly nodded to himself. He created a bone blub of aura and pointed at the slowly approaching Raven.

"I will come back for you…" Kat said to herself as she focused on her objective. Raven looked in slight frustration at the fleeing woman, but didn't visibly show it.

"Stand down! I will do what I must for my team!" Jacob said with a hint of nervousness in his tone. He pointed his weapon at Raven with narrowed eyes. Raven showed apathy in her outward features. She looked so unfazed, it alarmed the man.

Raven shook away any reservations she had about the guardian man trying to move up in the team. Though she could see herself in his shoes, she noted he looked much older than she was when she left the Zurui. He was more conscious of his choices. Raven thought, _"Such an unfortunate dilemma. From how old he is, he doesn't appear naïve. This man will kill me if I try anything... or will he? I'll let him decide if I should kill him or not. Let's see if he strikes me down while I'm not actively attacking him."_

Raven took a deep breath and relaxed her body. The small blue sparks entangling her slowly began to fade away as she decided not to fight the capsule's effect. She still felt a suffocating feeling in her aura, but it was much more manageable like this. Jacob wouldn't give her the chance to do anything more.

He swung his bone club at her stomach and knocked her into the ground. The black hair woman grunted at the hit, but decided not to fight back. She needed to be absolutely sure if this man was deserving of her full wrath. She slowly got up from the ground, but decided to form a bone club of aura in self-defense. Raven narrowed her eyes.

Jacob was determined not to let this woman pursue his partner. He was swift in his movement, carefully planning his attacking to hit Raven at lethal points on her abdomen. Raven found her movement stunted, but was still able to defend relatively well. Raven didn't know about the capsule used against her as it was new tech, but she also knew that this man didn't have honor. She would ambush people, sure, but she always would use her tricks and powers only. She never used outside sources to win anything. The grey-eyed woman made up her mind.

Jacob kicked her in her stomach when she was slow in blocking another swing. Raven rolled on the ground to avoid being impaled by the bone club he was thrusting at her. Raven knew she was running out of time. It was a matter of time before the other grunt found Serena. She had to prevent that if she could.

Raven decided to build her aura up just enough to get a quick burst of speed temporarily. She had to be careful not to breathe too quickly, lest she choked from the capsule's effect. Using Jacob's surprise as a weapon, she did a sweeping motion with her feet and quickly knocked him down. Then, she kept him pinned down in her aura. The process was causing her great pain, so she decided the next course of action was the destroy the device.

"How unfortunate you decided to seal your fate," Raven said sadly. She thought solemnly, _"I know I promised not to do this again, but Serena's in danger. I must remain level headed for her sake. Think of care… and warmth. Don't… kill… anything… except for the two grunts. Don't lose myself to the dark abyss…"_

Raven closed her eyes and relaxed her body. Once she opened her eyes, the marks on her hands were now on her eyes as two bloody moon shapes. She seemed to have a greater disconnect from the world than before. The blue suffocating sparks entangling her vanished. She immediately started to move normally despite being in the capsule's range. Raven then immediately picked up the capsule and crushed it with her bare hands. Raven could feel herself unrestricted completely. Jacob looked terrified at the woman.

"Wh-what are you? You're not a normal guardian! The way you dealt with the aura disruptor is unheard of!" Jacob screeched.

Raven said nothing as she approached the now terrified man. Now that the object weakening her was gone, she could focus on one of her actual targets. Jacob still couldn't move, but he felt shivers being trapped her Raven's aura. He couldn't feel any of Raven's emotions, which was unnerving. If anything, the only thing he could feel was something rotting on the inside.

"What are you… those eyes… they seem so ominous…" Jacob said in observation.

Raven continued to ignore him and was now was within a few feet of the man. She had her bone club in her hand and Jacob had an idea of what her intent was with it.

"St-stay stay away from me… you creep!" Jacob tried to move away, but Raven's influence was too strong. Her cold grey eyes judged his soul as they stared down at him. She made up her mind and her movement was swift.

"You're going to be much more tolerable as a corpse…" Raven murmured as she impaled the man through his heart.

"AHHHHHHHH!" That was the last thing Jacob could utter as he eyes rolled up gruesomely. With his heart impaled, the rest of his body could not go on further and he stopped moving. Raven's marks in her eyes seemed to appear slightly harsher than before. She held no sympathy for her actions, but she was beginning to feel more bloodlust. The guardian shook her head at that and took a few breaths to prevent herself from going out of control. She held her head slightly for a moment as she remembered why she put herself in this state: Serena.

Thinking of Serena made her calm down and focus on what she wanted. Raven made her weapon disappear and rushed off to follow Kat. Her objective was clear and she would stop at nothing to complete it.

As Raven went back north, an old lady with a cane had been sensing the entire thing. She frowned at not only the body, but the killer in question. She decided to cancel her rounds and see what Raven was up to. Floating slightly, she made her movement discreet, but followed Raven at her pace.

* * *

In the distance, Kat could hear a grown man screaming. Kat felt a shiver at what that implied, but forced herself not to think about it. She had to do this for both of their sakes. She increased her pace. She noticed the old lady was nowhere to be seen. Kat realized the lady was likely patrolling the area and smiled to herself. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

The patch she applied on herself not only was useful in not being affected by the aura disruptor, it was also useful in augmenting her natural abilities and hiding her aura more discreetly. She felt like she was moving faster than normal.

Kat managed to make it to the house and breeding facility. She made sure to make herself invisible, but couldn't make her camera invisible. She couldn't see any signs of anyone outside, so she got closer.

Kat had to stifle a gasp when she walked inside the facility and heard voices. She saw a short haired honey blond teen with bright blue eyes and a cute outfit. She thought the blue ribbon was peculiar on an otherwise mainly red and pink color scheme. She was listening to the old lady giving her a short rundown of the place. She recognized the old lady as Alison Ketchum and noted how screwed she'd be if she sensed her presence.

She began to record their conversation.

"So, how long Marge has been doing this?" Serena said, deciding it would be best to learn about the old lady she saw earlier. She didn't like Alice, but she figured it would be better to talk than look at the eggs in dead silence. Alice made a small smile when she heard Serena ask her something and was eager to answer.

"Probably before I was born. She's very passionate about her work. Marge is the glue for people to want to keep journeying in Hokori." Alice replied.

"Why do you say that?" Serena asked curiously.

"Once people lose to the first gym leader, he directs them to go to past Yousei City to Dendo Town up north and then head through Mufasa Fields. Usually, Igor, the Yousei City Gym Leader, demotivates a lot of people because of how tough he is. This is done on purpose to weed out the persistent from the weak. Marge encourages the persistent to keep training and even may give people pointers, but that's only if you find her and if she senses that you're worth her time." Alice explained.

"Wow. Marge seems amazing." Serena noted.

"She has an amazing arm, I'll give her that…" Alice said while rubbing her head slightly. She did it in a slightly exaggerated manner. Serena chuckled slightly. She liked seeing Alice loosen up around her. Alice continued, "… but I agree with you that she's amazing. She's always been a bit of an oddball, but she will do what she feels is right. Otherwise, I doubt she would give people eggs."

"You think she thinks I'm deserving?" Serena questioned. Alice immediately nodded.

"Of course. She would have made us do more otherwise. You have a presence that's alluring to people. Perhaps… that's why she was quick to say you can have an egg." Alice responded.

Alice looked toward Kat's direction and narrowed her eyes. The elderly lady felt something off in the area, but couldn't place where. Not wanting to alarm Serena, she decided not to voice her suspicions. She decided if something bad happened, she would react to protect both of them. Instead, she continued to explain a bit more about Mufasa Fields and the Breeding Sanctuary to Serena.

The hopeful grunt forced herself to relax when Alice looked in her direction. She breathed a sigh of relief when Alice focused her attention on Serena again. So far, the Zurui tech was working perfectly to where an esteemed guardian couldn't sense her being right there. She just needed to show that they were there and what they were doing.

Once she made sure she had enough footage, she said quietly into the recording, "Seems like the girl is being gifted an egg. She's with the Champion's mother, but this girl seems to be a pure psychic, which is peculiar. I thought the Ketchum elderly hated psychics. The girl is likely the girlfriend of the Champion's son, too. I am recording this message in case I don't get to report more. I'm being pursued by…"

"I'm going to haunt your soul once I kill you…" Raven whispered chillingly in her witch-like voice right behind Kat.

"Wah! End recording!" Kat said in a panic. She quickly sent her recording to the headquarters before Raven was able to grab her. She was happy she did her job, but was scared about the guardian behind her.

Kat didn't dare move, but her eyes were widened and her heart was beating out of her chest. Raven's presence felt overwhelming. Raven immediately grabbed her and dragged her out of the facility without causing that too much noise.

Alice, frowning, looked where Kat and Raven had been hiding and found nothing. She sensed something off, but was disturbed by not finding anything. Perplexed at the mixed messages her aura sense was giving her and growing slightly irritated at herself, she decided not to pursue this further. Serena noticed how distracted Alice seemed.

"Is… there something wrong?" Serena asked innocently.

"I feel like…" Alice sighed. She wasn't sure where to begin. She said instead, "No. I guess I was just imagining things because I thought I sensed something that wasn't here. Let's continue browsing, okay?"

Serena noticed the worried look on Alice's face, but decided not to press her. She continued to go along with the elderly Ketchum.

* * *

 **A/N: An eventful chapter, no? What will the repercussions be about that video being sent? You'll find out soon.**

 **Seems like when Raven is determined to protect something, she'll resort to some... unsavory methods if she doesn't have a voice of reason to keep her from being radical. Seems like her time in the Zurui still can influence how she acts.**

 **As for Serena and Alice, they aren't too buddy-buddy, but at least they are being more civil. That's a start, right? Don't be mistaken, though. Serena doesn't trust Alice in the slightest.**

 **Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be just as eventful as this one. Happy reading!**

 **Next Chapter: Race Against Time**

 **~SPG123~**


	18. Race Against Time

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, but this weird story idea is mine.**

* * *

 _"To spare oneself from grief at all cost can be achieved only at the price of total detachment." Erich Fromm_

* * *

Chapter 18: Race Against Time

Raven knocked Kat back into the field with an emotionless expression. Kat's body rolled slightly upon impact. She slowly looked up at the gray-eyed guardian and noticed the red in her eyes was spreading. Her bloody eyes gave so signs of how she was when she first encountered the two guardian grunts. Kat was on the ground, looking up at Raven tauntingly. She felt as though she won.

"You're too late! I sent the message. There's nothing you can do!" Kat said triumphantly.

For a moment, Raven maintained her emotionless expression. In the next, Raven was seething in rage. The marks on her eyes began to glow ominously as her urge to kill her target intensified. Kat gulped at the intensity of her eyes. It was only then she realized the severity of the trouble she was in. When Raven picked up on her fear, she made a devious, seemingly evil smirk.

"Nothing I can do? You underestimate me. Enjoy your new life in the Distortion Zone…" Raven murmured viciously.

"AHHHHHHH!" Kat screamed as Raven lunged at her in an instant and dislocated her head. Kat's body crumpled on the ground immediately.

Raven looked down at the now deceased woman with little remorse. She picked up the camera-like phone Kat used for the recording and placed it in her pocket. She was trying to scan her mind on what to do next, but her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone right behind her.

"Raven…?" Marge gasped when she sensed Raven at her most powerful. She sensed Raven's true marks being out and it got her slightly nervous. She remembered the Hybrid Purge and what dusk guardians relinquishing themselves to their marks would do upon seeing a person. Although she was wondering why Raven was here, she focused on the looming threat Raven possessed.

"…" Raven said nothing to the old lady as she glared at her. Marge noticed she was hesitating to attack or threaten her, so there was some part of her that was still there.

"Raven, listen to me. Snap out of it. Don't let your instincts run you. You're stronger than you think." Marge said.

"…" Raven closed her eyes and held her head in pain. She recognized the voice, but she didn't know from where. She was shaking her head wildly. Marge looked hopeful at the dusk guardian. Raven had better control than what she remembered.

"Fight it! I know it's harder to control yourself as you kill more people, but I know you can do it!" Marge encouraged.

Raven suddenly relaxed. She opened her eyes and seemed like she didn't recognize Marge. Her eyes were glowing red subconsciously.

 _"I'm not as strong as this woman thinks I am. Everything must die."_ Raven thought coldly. She didn't know who this woman was, so she created a bone club as a weapon. Marge sweatdropped. Raven breathed, "I see nothing but an old corpse in front of me."

 _"Oh dear. The shadow of her mark is too strong for her, but I notice she's having better control of her instincts compared to a decade ago. If only she didn't see herself as awful, then her aura would respond in a more positive way."_ Marge thought sadly. She then said while repeatedly tapping her staff into her other hand, "I don't want to do this, but I _will_ knock some sense back into you."

With that, the two clashed fiercely.

Raven looked at the old lady viciously. She was frustrated at the strength the old lady had. Marge had her eyes closed, but wasn't giving in to the younger guardian's pressure. She was frowning slightly because of the situation itself. Raven eventually won the deadlock and pushed her back. Marge slid on the ground, but wasn't deterred.

The elderly guardian quickly reacted to Raven's next attack. Raven shot several aura spheres at her in succession. Raising her staff, she made it and her mark glow green. A small forcefield formed around her and protected her from all the strikes. She then stuck her staff on the ground and made a taunting grin at Raven. Marge had both hands on her staff, facing Raven. She didn't seem too impressed. The grin worked.

Raven hated the cockiness of this lady and wanted to overpower her. She shot a blast of dark aura toward the old lady, but it did nothing to break Marge's guard. The forcefield looked just as well as before and it baffled Raven. The dark-haired guardian decided to let go of her pride and focus on what the old lady was trying to do instead. Raven concentrated on Marge and her body language.

Though Raven was under the influence of her marks, her observation skills were still exceptional. She could see Marge drawing energy from somewhere, but wasn't sure of the source. She noticed Marge's defensiveness and seeming need to be on the ground. Then, it hit her.

Marge noticed that Raven hadn't moved for a little while and wondered if Raven was picking up on her style of fighting. After all, Raven hadn't attacked her again after the dark aura blast. Raven's eyes began to glow an intense red. She put her hands on the ground. Then, she concentrated her dark aura on the ground and toward Marge. Marge winced in pain from the ground now being tainted with dark aura. The forcefield disappeared and the green glow on Marge's mark disappeared. Raven smirked at this.

Marge felt dark aura-like cracks temporarily on her arms and shivered at the sight. She didn't know Raven to be able to do that before. She frowned at the revelation. She quickly had her arms glow blue to cleanse herself of the dark aura she was exposed to. Marge still appeared drained afterward.

 _"Even if she temporarily doesn't remember my style of preferring to use the ground, she picked up on it again quickly. I trained her too well…"_ Marge observed.

Raven quickly approached Marge now that her guard was down to swipe her down. Or so… that was what Raven thought.

Marge's clover mark began to glow pink as she got Raven where she wanted. She quickly dodged Raven's attack. Raven gasped as she realized Marge baited her to come close to weaken her. Raven hated how clever her opponent was. She found herself weakening the more Marge's mark was glowing pink.

 _"The Charm emulation worked beautifully. Now to snap her out of this…"_ Marge thought solemnly.

Raven felt like she didn't have the energy to move or do much of anything. Marge stuck her staff on the ground as it also began to glow pink. Raven felt herself weakening more and more until she collapsed on the ground, unable to attack for much damage. She scowled at the old lady.

"I know I can't directly beat you in a one on one at my age, but I can weaken you to where you're harmless. Now, I'm going to say this again. Fight the influence." Marge said in a strong voice. She really didn't want to hurt Raven.

Raven, despite being weakened by Charm, was slowly beginning to get up. Her eyes showed no signs of grey as they were completely red with black moons for irises. Though Marge couldn't see Raven's eyes, she sensed something severely off with her marks. Marge gasped and for the first time since interacting with Raven, she was legitimately nervous. She'd never seen a person with the Blood Moon mark have their mark change like this and become completely black. Marge knew talking could no longer get through to Raven. Raven was grinning creepily.

"Harmless…? Why do people always underestimate me? Old lady, you've made me angry." Raven said as she threw a punch toward Marge. Marge, despite feeling anxiety, showed an outward unwavering stubbornness on her face. She took the punch with her right hand. Raven widened her eyes at this, then wailed in pain when Marge twisted her hand. Marge made Raven go down on her knees despite being significantly shorter.

"I've had enough. I tried not to hit you, but you've left me no choice. This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me." Marge said while picking up her cane. With all of her might, she slammed Raven's head with her cane. Raven wailed in agony from the impact.

"Ow!" Raven said in pain, but her eyes were still red with black moons. Marge sighed as she decided to double her efforts.

"Snap out of it!" Marge screeched. She continued to whack Raven on the head progressively harder. Each hit had Raven's eyes slowly turning back to grey.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! OUCH!" Raven screamed each time she got struck by Marge until the last hit had her stunned on the ground. After a few moments, Raven sat up and held her head. She had her eyes closed as she tried to reorient herself. Raven groaned, "Agghh… my head…"

"Raven… you truly here? Not that shadow of yourself?" Marge asked, somewhat hopeful. When Raven opened her eyes, she got her answer.

"Ugh… Marge?" Raven said, somewhat shakily. Her grey eyes were looking around, confused. The marks in her eyes returned to her hands as horn-like shapes. Marge smiled warmly.

"Haha! Got through! Are you feeling okay?" Marge asked in concern while inspecting Raven. The dusk guardian seemed horribly confused, but not too hurt. Marge was glad. She decided to try and jog Raven's short term memory by asking, "Why are you here and with the mark of the Blood Moon exposed? You _never_ like using your real marks."

"Why… am I… here?" Raven took a moment to think about what she would want to be here. Then, the last few hours hit her like a truck. She quickly got up. She said in a panic, "I have to get back to Aurora! Her Rotom might be able to intercept the message! I have to hurry!"

Raven was about to leave, but she was stopped in her tracks by the now concerned Marge. Marge's normally mischievous face was looking at Raven with slight annoyance for her attempt to leave after her actions. Raven sighed and knew there was no getting out of this.

"Raven, you're not going anywhere until you explain yourself," Marge said in such a serious tone that it caused Raven to shiver.

Raven decided to explain everything up to this point, from listening in on her conversation with Ash and Aurora to know where Serena would go to her following the two suspicious people into the fields. She explained that the two grunts sent a video of Alice and Serena together. Raven also apologized for attacking her. Marge laughed and told her not to sweat it. Raven made sure her intentions clear: to make sure one of the Zurui bosses doesn't see how Serena looks. Marge was puzzled by this, but had an idea why Raven was so determined. She knew this was important.

"Hmm. I see," Marge said while pondering. "Considering the two people you killed were Zurui grunts, I will bury them and leave Serena ignorant of our encounter. I don't condone you killing again, you know."

"I will do what I must for those I care about. If that's selfish of me, then so be it." Raven said in a low voice.

"Though I commend your determination, it's unfortunate you're still viewing the world from one lens," Marge said while shaking her head. She noted, "I will still tell Alice what happened here, though. You seem to want to protect Serena from the shadows."

"I would like that very much. Thank you." Raven said while bowing in respect.

"No need to thank me. Go. I wish you luck in foiling the Zurui. Here." Marge threw up a Poké Ball and revealed she had an Alakazam. Marge said, "Alakazam, teleport Raven to Aurora and then come back for breakfast."

 **"Of course, my lady."** Alakazam bowed with respect as he replied.

"Thank you for everything…" Raven was grateful that Marge wasn't angry at her and willing to help her out. Raven waved Marge off as she teleported with Alakazam back to Midnight City.

Marge put her hands behind her and began to walk back to the breeding facility in deep thought. She noted how much Raven had changed from the last time she saw her. She seemed more motivated to help others instead of herself and she seemed to have gotten stronger. Marge was thankful for the change, but sighed at how… ominous… Raven's marks appeared when she had been pressured hard enough. Marge decided to look into what that meant after she had Serena and Alice leave.

"Well, that's the most excitement I've had in a while. I hope Raven succeeds in her quest. The Zurui is such a bothersome group…" Marge said to herself.

* * *

Raven was teleported right behind Aurora fighting what seemed to be a challenger to the gym. Raven noticed she was using her Charizard in her regular form. Aurora was so engrossed in the battle that she didn't notice Raven come back behind her. Her opponent seemed to be a Midnight City native youngster. She had bright middle length wild red hair with orange highlights. She had excited red eyes. The girl had on a pink sleeveless top with a red jacket and loose jeans. She also had black fingerless gloves.

In front of the girl was an Arcanine. The Legendary Pokémon seemed just as pumped as his trainer, but he seemed very tired. Chari looked like she hadn't broken a sweat yet.

Aurora brought out her hand and said, "Chari, use Dragon Rush to finish this!"

The youngster said, "Dodge that and use Wild Charge!"

Chari punched her fists together with a grin and formed a blue dragon-like aura around her. Chari then flew toward Arcanine and sought to slam her body into the opponent. Arcanine was about to dodge as his trainer wanted, but Aurora already had an idea of where she would dodge to.

Aurora's eyes glowed yellow for a quick second. She smirked and said, "Sharp turn left!"

Arcanine was surprised to see the Charizard shift her momentum so quickly. He hissed in pain when Chari slammed her body into him. The force of the attack was so great that Arcanine was knocked into the wall with squiggly lines for eyes. Chari stretched her wings out wide in triumph. Aurora gave her partner a high five in slight celebration. The girl had her mouth wide open both in awe and excitement.

After petting Chari on the head and returning her, she used her aura grip to get Arcanine out of the wall and lied him on the ground. Then, she sat in a pretzel shape, closed her eyes and concentrated. The Legendary Pokémon's wounds were beginning to go away. The girl eyed Aurora's technique in wonder. She was grateful Aurora took the time to even do this for her. After a few minutes, Arcanine was full of energy again. He sat beside his trainer.

"Woah… I don't see people aura sense that quickly! I gotta get my reaction time to be just as fast as yours. You're so amazing!" Helia said while being right under Aurora. Her eyes were sparkling in excitement, but she didn't seem to notice how uncomfortable Aurora was getting. Aurora politely moved away from the young girl and sweatdropped.

"Thank you for the kind words…" Aurora said with a mix of an embarrassed and nervous laugh. The girl peered behind Aurora and noticed a black-haired woman with an Alakazam next to her. She made an elongated gasp.

"Raven! I was looking for you!" The girl exclaimed. Aurora turned around and noticed Raven there as well. She had been so focused on the girl that she hadn't noticed. She thought of Raven having an Alakazam as strange, but didn't think much of it.

"Um… who are you…?" Raven asked.

"My name's Helia. I want to battle the strongest trainers in the region and eventually take over my dad's gym in Autumnwood City. I wanted to see if I usurp your position as strongest gym leader." Helia stated.

"You're Helios's kid?" Raven blinked her eyes in surprise. She thought Helios's daughter was younger than this girl. Helia appeared to be a thirteen year old to Raven instead of ten. Raven scratched her head for not keeping track well enough.

"Yep! I know I have a lot to learn still, but I know I can do it!" Helia said, pumped up. Raven sweatdropped at the energy this girl had.

"That's an ambitious goal and I commend it. Aurora, how was your battle with her?" Raven asked, hoping to move the conversation along.

"She's pretty strong, but she isn't at your level yet," Aurora said. Helia seemed a bit bummed out to hear this. Her earlier excitement vanished.

"Aww… I'll come back at a later point, then." Helia said with slumped shoulders. She started to walk out of the gym, but Aurora stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. This prompted the child to look up at the lady.

"Just because I don't think you're ready to face Raven, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try still. You may very well prove me wrong." Aurora said with a gentle smile. Raven was beginning to get more anxious. She didn't want to be rude since Helia seemed to be very impressionable, but she was more concerned about the Zurui than a child.

"Aurora…" Raven whispered to get her friend's attention, but it was fallen on deaf ears.

"Really?" Helia said with renewed vigor. Aurora nodded and smiled warmly at the orange-haired lass.

"Yes. Don't let someone deter you so easily. Reach for the stars and go for it!" Aurora said while pointing to the ceiling. With a bit of her aura, she created an aura sphere, aimed it upward, then destroyed it before it could damage the gym. Small sparkles formed from the explosion. Helia seemed enthralled by the sight. She had a large open smile on her face as she looked around and tried to catch some of the sparkles.

Raven groaned internally. Precious time was being wasted.

"Aurora," Raven said a bit louder, but Aurora's attention was still on Helia.

"Thank you, Miss Aurora!" Helia said as she bowed in respect to the raven-haired, braid bearing lady.

"Not a problem," Aurora said. Raven had enough of this. She needed to get Helia out of the gym if she had a chance to intercept the grunts' message.

"Aurora!" Raven yelled out. Fortunately for her, it was enough to get Aurora's attention this time.

"Yes, Raven?" Aurora said as she turned her body to face Raven. She looked at the Alakazam a bit more closely. She noticed this Alakazam had a small scar on his torso and noticed this Pokémon looked aged. Then, it hit her. Aurora gasped, "Wait… is that Meema's Alakazam?"

"I need your help with something. It's urgent." Raven said in a serious tone. Aurora's smile went away as she looked at her friend with a grave expression.

"I… see." Aurora had a feeling that Raven found something wrong when she checked in on Serena. Aurora could tell this was important to her. Raven turned to Helia.

"I normally don't mind taking on challengers, but right now I'm in a bit of a hurry. I don't do psychic types, so if I'm borrowing someone else's, then I'm _really_ busy. Come back in a few hours, kid. I'll be sure to battle you." Raven said with somewhat of a sad voice. She didn't like declining challengers, but Serena was more important to her.

"Okay…" Helia said, somewhat disappointed, but not deterred. The girl then said to Aurora, "Thank you taking the time to battle, Miss Aurora! Maybe one day, I'll get to beat you."

"Keep at it, but… I don't plan to go down until my son has had a chance to battle me in the league. With that motivation to do my best, I won't lose. Work hard to become better than me, alright?" Aurora stated. Helia nodded at the challenge. She wouldn't back down.

"Oooh, the thought of that makes me excited! I'll be back! Count on it!" Helia said as she ran out of the gym. Her blood was pumped and she was excited to battle later on. The girl grew determined to become just as strong as her dad one day and was determined to do so.

"Take care!" Aurora said as she waved the girl off. Raven sighed in relief that Helia was gone.

"Aurora, I need you to get your Rotom." Raven said immediately after the girl left. Aurora raised an eyebrow.

"What happened at the facility?" Aurora asked. Raven started to explain how she intercepted two grunts that spied on Serena and Alice. She also explained how one of the grunts was successful in sending the recording. Aurora listened to Raven intently, but noticed she was being vague. Aurora asked, "Why does it matter that the Zurui doesn't see how Serena looks?"

"It's important, alright?" Raven said while looking away.

Aurora's eyes suddenly turned red as she hissed at her friend with annoyance. Raven gasped at Aru being out. Aru stepped in Raven's face with a scowl. They were barely a few centimeters from each other. Aru then grabbed Raven by her poncho and lifted her so they were looking at each other face to face. Since Aru was taller, Raven couldn't feel her feet on the ground. Raven gulped. Aru looked like she was being held back from doing more by her balance as she noticed a yellow gleam in her eyes.

"You're not about to hide anything from me when you need my help. I want you to tell me why _completely_ , not hide any truth. I will not hesitate to distance myself again and I won't help until you do." Aru growled. Raven could feel herself getting intimidated. It was a stark contrast to the friendly Aurora she saw earlier. Aru used her aura to force Raven to look at her eye to eye. Aru narrowed her eyes.

"…" Raven didn't know what to say.

"Raven." Aurora's right eye became yellow. With both sides of the Ketchum out, Raven knew that Aurora would actually cut herself off from her. Raven had a choice to make: hide the truth or value her friendship with Aurora enough to gather the confidence to say it. Just like Aurora chose her in the past, Raven decided to choose Aurora over her fear. Raven sighed.

"Fine. Donnivan Kovan must not see her." Raven said reluctantly. Aurora let go of Raven upon hearing that and made her eyes go back to yellow. Raven readjusted herself once free.

"Kovan…" Aurora gasped. She knew that name and she knew his mark. Aurora now knew why she had such a feeling of foreboding when viewing Serena's psychic mark. Aurora's eyes turned back to yellow. Aurora said, "Is it because he's her father? I'm pretty sure the DDD let him know of her existence by now."

"The DDD doesn't remember Serena. I made sure to have them remember a mysterious person helping a psychic out, but they don't know who that person is or what they were doing in Kalos." Raven said with a confident smirk. Raven said in a more serious tone, "It's more than just Donnivan just being her father. There's a reason why Grace moved to Kalos and requested that I had Serena forget her father. He was… the abusive type."

"Oh my," Aurora said with widened eyes.

"Grace faked Serena's death in front of him so he thinks she's dead. Donnivan was abusive to Grace... often to where she was bruised. Though, oddly enough, Donnivan never laid a finger on Serena nor used his power on her. They had a good relationship. I remember Serena being the only person he wasn't willing to harm, actually." Raven explained and noted.

 _"Serena was his primary weakness? That shrewd man never shows emotion toward anyone otherwise. Interesting..."_ Aurora thought.

"Grace decided to prevent Serena from possibly getting abused in the future, so she cut off their relationship through the faked death. Serena longed for a father figure once he stopped visiting and Grace hated to see her like that. Grace feared her safety if she got old enough to begin using her powers and if she found out about Donnivan. She had me promise not to let Serena know about Donnivan." Raven explained. Aurora closed her eyes, taking this in. Aurora was frowning.

"You know that it will be impossible to prevent Kovan from finding out about Serena, right? Ash wants to come here one day and I know Serena wants to become the Hokori Queen. They're bound to make a buzz, especially since I'm the Champion and Serena's dating my son. You know how people are... things spread quickly." Aurora told her. Raven sighed wistfully.

"I know that, but we can at least delay it. Please, Aurora. I'm not sure if we can intercept the message, but we have to try." Raven begged. Aurora shook her head. Raven was giving Aurora her best pleading face. She could see Raven being desperate to protect Serena. Aurora decided to help, but she wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble.

"I see this as a fool's quest, but I help out my friends. I'll see what I can do." Aurora decided. Raven looked ecstatic.

"Thank you," Raven said gratefully. Aurora shook her head.

"Raven, I'd be more concerned about Serena's mother safety than Serena's if we fail to intercept the message. If he's still the abusive man you described, I'd expect him to go after her." Aurora warned.

"Donnivan shouldn't know where she is," Raven said confidently. Aurora wasn't so sure about that. She was aware Grace still conversed with the Zurui despite not being in the team. Aurora could tell Raven didn't know this, but decided not to say anything. She could tell Raven still valued her old friendship with Grace and it was clouding her view a little. She decided to tell her only if they failed. Aurora sighed to herself.

Aurora threw out a Poké Ball and out came out an electric psychic cheetah. She started to float above the ground lazily as her tail also hanged down lazily.

 **"Greetings, Aurora. What do you need me for?"** Chi-Chi asked.

"I need you to teleport us to the Erudite Power Plant. We need to reunite with Roto Roto to intercept a message." Aurora told her.

"Got it," Chi-Chi said with a nod.

Before they could go, Raven decided to acknowledge the quiet Alakazam. He seemed to be processing all the information he heard to analyze it. Raven wondered what was going through that supercomputer brain of his, but wasn't curious enough to ask.

"Thank you so much for teleporting me here, Alakazam. Give Marge my thanks as well." Raven said to the Alakazam.

 **"Not a problem, Raven. I pray you to find good fortune in your quest."** Alazakam teleported away upon saying that.

Raven and Aurora looked at each other and nodded. Then with a snap of her paws, Chi-Chi teleported them away from the gym.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

A man with wavy platinum blond hair, striking blue eyes and stern look to him was in his office going through his daily routine. His office was spacious with a large window behind the main table. The man could view the whole city from where he was. The room itself had a bright atmosphere, being painted with white and beige. There was a large 'Z' shaped dragon in the middle of the tiled floor. There was a large brown wooden desk in the middle in the room with a distinct logo.

The man liked to get up early before anyone entered the company building and found this time of day to be quite peaceful. He already had his morning coffee and watched the sun rise. Before he looked at any statistics of reports over the state of his company, he always went through one thing.

He looked around himself to make sure no one was there. He then closed his eyes and scanned the building. He sensed no one else on the top floor with him. He relaxed.

The man brought out his hands and made the table begin to float in the air. Under the middlemost spot under the table, the man saw there was a small compartment that when touched revealed a red button. He immediately pressed it. The table began to vibrate until he heard a click. After the click, the man put down the table and saw the item he was seeking.

On the top of the table was a small golden heart-shaped locket that had been taken out upon pressing the button. The man sat down, opened it and revealed a picture of a little toddler with wavy honey-blond hair, bright blue eyes with a pink sundress on. She was being levitated by a younger and smiling version of the man. The little girl looked so happy being brought so high into the air. He sighed to himself as he attempted to smile, but found that he couldn't do it. The man thumbed the girl in the picture. His eyes grew soft.

 _"Every day I look at this… my last shred of humanity. If only she lived still. I would shower her with gifts upon gifts…"_ The man thought solemnly.

Part of him couldn't believe that he was still mourning the girl, but that smile of hers had been enough to make him keep going whenever things got rough in the day. As per usual, after looking at the picture and doing some self-reflection, he moved to sit in front of a computer to keep up with events he had to go to and to read any messages he had received. He always had the locket beside him until after he'd check everything. It felt like a small part of the girl was still beside him.

He decided to read through his messages first.

Upon opening up his email, he noticed the first email on the list was an email with an untitled subject from someone he didn't know. Puzzled by this, the man concluded it was spam, but decided to see if it really was spam by looking into the future. He saw the two paths he would take upon viewing the email. One path he saw himself not opening the email and continuing his day as normal. In the other path, he saw himself being distraught opening it.

Tears started to form in his eyes. Could his future vision be messing with him?

The man immediately hurried to open the message. He saw a link to a brief video and opened it. There, he saw an old lady with greying black hair talking to a young teenager with wavy honey-blond hair about the breeding facility's head Marge. He knew the woman to be the Champion's mother. However, the girl was evoking a nasty feeling of familiarity.

He saw the video abruptly end when the person making the video was interrupted by another lady making a chillingly creepy voice. He could care less about the grunt who sent him this and wouldn't be surprised if the person who interrupted the grunt was Aru.

He decided to watch through the video again to make sure he had seen things right. When the video reached a point where he could get a good glimpse of the girl, he paused it. The man opened the locket and compared the two girls. His eyes widened. There was no mistaking it: this girl was one in the same.

 _"How…? My serene princess… she's still alive?"_ The man thought in both shock and confusion. He examined the older girl closer and noted, _"She grew up beautifully, too. My stars in the sky, she has the brilliance of my eyes. She even has the color of my old hair from before my powers got more potent. She's…she's…"_

The man didn't know where to place his thoughts. He snapped his fingers as he thought of the right word. He sighed as he thought to himself, _"She's still pure. I can tell she hasn't become fully emotionless, but it's starting to come out. This foreign emotion… I'm feeling. I forgot what happiness felt like until now…"_

 _"I can't believe my baby girl infiltrated and befriended the Ketchums, particularly one of the elderly ones. Serena… I wonder how you're like…? Are you like me… or like your dastardly mother? It's very likely Grace had someone sap your memories of me or had you grow up despising me…"_ The man's eyes suddenly started to glow sky blue as he felt an anger he hadn't felt in years.

Just in case something happened to the video, he saved it to several different drives including a flash drive, an SD card and the actual computer. He wanted to always cherish the video. The man grabbed his laptop and a few prototypes of gadgets he had been working on. He put them all in a black backpack. He then put the locket around his neck for the first time in years.

The man took a moment to look in the future today for different outcomes. He analyzed the best course for himself and decided to go from there.

 _"Hmm… let's time some errands correctly. Today's going to be more important than I imagined…"_ The man thought carefully as he immediately teleported from his office.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh boy... it seems like Raven failed to stop Donnivan from getting the message. What will happen from here? He didn't seem too pleased at the aspect of being lied to for several years...**

 **Important Note: I am going to be taking a bit of a hiatus (about a couple of months) to write a few chapters ahead of this one. I'm only currently one and three quarters ahead at the moment. I'm not suffering through writer's block, but with my summer job taking up a lot of time, I would like some time to write ahead. I will try my hardest for the wait to be worth it. Serena's father is interesting to write about!**

 **I wanted to make sure to let everyone know ahead of time after coming to this decision. Also, I feel like this chapter would be a good temporary stop because of the possible discussion from it. Happy reading!**

 **Next Chapter: A Fool's Quest**

 **~SPG123~**


	19. A Fool's Quest

**A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! Apologies for the long hiatus, but I am back with a new chapter for you all. I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer as always: Don't own Pokemon, but this story is my idea.**

* * *

 _"When you believe in someone you profoundly increase their ability to have faith in themselves and achieve. When you love someone you imprint on their heart something so powerful that it changes the trajectory of their life. When you do both, you set into motion, a gift to the world…because those who are believed in and loved understand the beauty of a legacy and the absolute duty of paying it forward. -Jason Versey_

* * *

Chapter 18: A Fool's Quest

Aurora and Raven were teleported to an abandoned long rectangular building. It looked as though no one entered it for several years and its yellowish paint was beginning to show signs of wear. Ever since the Poison Toxx Company got more influential, there was no need to use the power plant anymore. People could use the energy created in Doki Doki City instead. Despite the sad state of the building, the Pokémon in the area loved it.

Aurora know electric types loved the excess electricity and ghost types liked that it was abandoned. She remembered this place being quite attraction to visit when she was younger. She was happier that the Pokémon was in a better state with the building in disarray, but sad that this place had to be in the Death Zone of Hokori.

Both Raven and Aurora had thin aura barriers to protect themselves from the influence of the poison gas that surrounded this area. Though the gas had a distinct effect on humans, the gas had no effect on Pokémon. Aurora was always baffled by this, but thankful. Humans were already a handful to deal with. If every Pokémon was also under the control of the Zurui, Aurora would have more of a large headache than she already did.

Aurora slowly pushed open the entrance to the abandoned sight. The inside was just as she remembered it last: unrestrained.

There were several broken down conveyor belts and an unpowered generator straight in the middle. It looked like a shell of its former self. The only light in the building came from the purple light reflecting from the sky. Raven had never been here before so to see this power plant be this decrepit made her made her feel a sense of unease. Aurora looked oddly comfortable.

A few of the electric and ghost types in the area crowded around Aurora curiously. A Magnemite slowly levitated to Aurora, with sparks forming from its sides. Aurora made a disarming smile and touched the Pokémon's head. The steel and electric looked like it was on guard, but was hesitating to make a move. Aurora closed her eyes and began to hum a soothing melody similar to Meloetta's Relic Song. She lowered her head slightly as she spread her aura throughout the aura. Raven looked at the sight in awe. The Magnemite appeared much more relaxed than before. Sparks stopped forming. Aurora made a tranquil expression.

"Can you find a Rotom for me, little one?" Aurora requested. Magnemite was about to do what she requested, but was interrupted when they heard buzzing.

 **"(No need! Zzzt!)"** A voice called out. It seemed overjoyed. Raven was confused by the voice as it was hard to see. Aurora raised her palm up and formed a small fire. She could see a small shadow looming over them. Aurora's eyes glazed over contentedly.

"Roto Roto!" Aurora brought out her free hand and had her Rotom land on it. Since Roto Roto was made of plasma, she had to be careful not to directly touch him, but her aura was shielding her. The Rotom looked at his trainer with excited but impish eyes. He gave her a bit of an affectionate shock. Aurora's hair fizzled up upon being shocked, but she laughed it off.

 **"(Mistress, it's been a few months! I'm glad you came to visit!)"** Roto Roto said happily. He shocked her a few more times, but to Aurora it felt like the shocks were tickling her. She knew her Rotom had the ability to adjust how the nerves inside a person interacted with electricity. Aurora could not stop laughing from the shocks as a result.

"Hahahaha… stop tickling me!" Aurora pleaded. Roto Roto obliged, but not before chuckling mischievously. Aurora said, "It's always a pleasure to see my friends, Roto Roto."

 **"(Zzzt! Might I ask why you're here so soon? You always visit your partners once a year if they aren't in the Tree because of how far apart we are. Is there something wrong?)"** Roto Roto asked. He appeared much more serious than before.

Aurora nodded sadly. She gave him a quick overview of what Raven told her. Roto Roto nodded. He got off Aurora's hand and began floating on his own.

 **"(Where's the grunt's device?)"** The Rotom asked. Aurora took the phone from Raven and presented it to Roto Roto.

"Right here. Think you can delete her most recent message?" Aurora requested. Roto Roto nodded eagerly.

 **"(Consider it done. Gimme a sec.)"** Roto Roto made a high pitch squeal as he transferred himself into the phone. The transfer zapped Aurora and in her surprise, caused her to drop the phone on the ground.

For several moments, Aurora and Raven could only watch and wait anxiously as the phone on the cold floor buzzed softly. Aurora had full confidence that Roto Roto could fulfill their request. As they were waiting, Raven's thoughts wandered to Grace. She had to know that Serena was training with Aurora's family. Serena was the type of girl not to let her mother worry for too long. However, if that was the case, she wondered if Grace would take the opportunity to meet with their old team discreetly.

Raven narrowed her eyes. She suddenly had a bad sense coming and she never ignored her sixth sense.

Regardless of what happened with Roto Roto and the phone, the dusk guardian decided it was best to check in on Grace. Raven glanced at Aurora. She seemed confident when she mentioned Kovan would go after Grace. Aurora was apt at finding out information from people from their body language. Raven wondered if she talked to Grace recently. She decided to find out if she remembered Grace from when she ambushed Aurora as a teen.

Roto Roto eventually transferred himself out of the phone with a grin on his face. Aurora looked happy. Raven seemed distressed still.

 **"(The message has been deleted from the computer and from his email. I was able to infiltrate his computer because it is currently in sleep mode. Even still, the deed had been done.)"** Roto Roto announced happily.

"Nice! Thank you for helping us, friend!" Aurora said with a smile.

 **"(Anything for the person who saved me from being poached all those years ago. I'm always indebted to you."** Roto Roto said while bowing slightly in respect. He then asked, **"(Is there anything else you need of me?)"**

"Not at all. Thank you for everything. I'll see you around, Roto Roto." Aurora said happily. Roto Roto nodded as he floated up in the air and disappeared into the gas. Aurora could hear mischievous laughter from the distance. Aurora laughed and shook her head. She said while fondly smiling, "I'm glad to see Roto Roto still in great spirits."

"I owe you and that Rotom a lot. You've done so much for me… I really don't feel deserving of it." Raven said in a heavy voice. Aurora was the reason she could live a normal life away from crime. Aurora had no idea how grateful Raven was.

"You shouldn't feel that way. It's no sweat. I like helping people out." Aurora said happily. She started to frown as she noticed Raven's unease. She said, "You're worried still, aren't you?"

"Were you able to talk to Grace recently regarding Serena?" Raven suddenly asked. Aurora blinked her eyes at this.

"Huh? How would you know-?" Aurora started, but Raven interrupted her.

"Answer me, please." Raven requested.

"Yes. I called her when trying to make sure it was alright for Serena to train with me. I didn't want her to worry about Serena being gone for too long." Aurora responded. Raven had her head down, taking in the information. She closed her eyes in thought.

"Noticed anything strange with her?" Raven asked.

"Where are you getting at, Raven?" Aurora questioned, slightly confused at her friend's intent.

"How was she acting toward you? Nervous? Secretive?" Raven continued prying. She was increasingly getting a horrible knot in her stomach. She hadn't had a feeling this intense in a while, but she wanted to make sure she wasn't overreacting internally. Fortunately for her, Aurora was willing to answer anything she asked.

"Well, both. She… seemed scared about what I may find out about her. She definitely talks to the Zurui from the conversation I had, but I'm unsure if she's in their team as a spy." Aurora elaborated. Raven opened her eyes sharply, but she seemed uneasy.

 _"Interesting… Aurora doesn't seem to know that she met Grace several years before her recent call. That's unlike her… unless she doesn't want to tell me that. In any case, I need to seek out Grace."_ Raven thought to herself. She said aloud, "I knew it. She's still interacting with those scumbags. She's such a fool."

Raven gave a respectful bow to Aurora before going toward the entrance of the power plant. Confused, Aurora followed her until they were both outside. Raven took out her trusty Hydreigon and mounted him. The Hydreigon greeted Aurora by licking her on the cheek gently. Aurora laughed at the contact, but then her expression grew serious once Drei stopped licking her. Aurora eyed her friend suspiciously.

"Raven, where are you going?" Aurora asked.

"… Can you tell Helia that I will be back by nightfall if I don't come back by the afternoon?" Raven suddenly requested. Aurora knew what Raven wanted to and wanted to stop her.

"Wait a second." Aurora was about to protest, but Raven knew Aurora would want to help. She raised her hand up to stop Aurora from talking. Aurora decided to cross her arms to hear what she wanted to say.

"Don't come with me. You don't need to go to Kalos when you were recently there causing a ruckus and we don't need Donnivan to do something to you if he does something to Grace. If Roto Roto successfully deleted the message in time, I should know by visiting her." Raven told her. Aurora shook her head at this. If Raven felt like going to Kalos, Aurora knew her sixth sense was going off. She knew not to underestimate the danger of the situation like she did when Raven went to check on Serena.

"Raven, let me come with you just in case-" Aurora argued, but was silenced when Raven's hand started to glow grey. The grey eyed women stopped her friend from speaking with her aura. She seemed absolute in her plans and didn't want to hear anything to change her mind. Aurora glared at Raven.

"No." Raven said in a firm tone. She made her hand stop glowing as she continued, "When it comes down to it, I'm better at stealth than you and your power is way easier to detect. Besides, I have the upper hand in being a dusk guardian. If I see him with her, I can stop his power outright if necessary. I won't go out of control when I'm near someone who what to say to snap me out."

Aurora knew how serious Raven was if she had been willing to shut her up. She would expect Mirabelle to do that to her, not Raven. Aurora looked into Raven's eyes and saw determination that she'd never seen from her before. Raven eyed her in challenge and Aurora acknowledged that. Aurora made a sad smile and then sighed. She wanted to help, but decided against it. She felt like she was abandoning a friend, but her willingness to respect a friend's wishes surpassed that feeling.

"… I don't like that you want to go alone when Kovan is a threat. I also don't like the thought of your true marks being out." Aurora expressed her concerns. Raven could hear Aurora backing down in her tone and was grateful for it. Raven decided to take this chance before Aurora changed her mind and meddled further.

"I don't need help with this. I appreciate all that you've done for me, but I can handle this from here. I promise to let you know what happened, alright?" Raven said as soothingly as she could. Aurora looked away, slightly upset. She still didn't like the feeling of knowingly allowing her friend to possibly get hurt.

"…"

"Aurora…"

"Fine. If I find out you got yourself hurt, I will come as soon as I can, but I wouldn't forgive you, you know." Aurora said while turning away from Raven. She had her arms crossed in annoyance. Raven felt like that if she allowed Aurora to face her again, she'd change her mind, so she decided to go before that happened.

"Thank you. I'll be back as soon as possible. Take care, alright?" Raven said as Drei and her flew north toward Kalos.

"Wait! At least let me-" When Aurora felt the wind from Drei's ascent, Aurora gasped and quickly turned back around. Aurora tried to stop Raven to give her something, but she was too late. Raven was no longer visible in the sky. Aurora shook her head at herself as she commented, "She's gone. She could have let me have her borrow Chi-Chi to get there faster."

 _"Is it a bad thing that I wouldn't mind having Grace get hurt by her psycho lover?"_ Aru suddenly asked in her mind. Aurora was appalled by the question.

 _"Yes! That's horrible!"_ Aurora hissed at her counterbalance.

 _"Oops. Can't help how I feel."_ Aru said in a sarcastic tone. She could feel Aurora's annoyance at her seemingly detached mindset. Aru said in a relenting tone, _"I'm sorry, Aurora. I can't forgive people as easily as you. I can't forgive Grace for attacking and trying to kill us all those years ago. I still hold resentment against Raven for that incident, too."_

 _"I mean… I don't blame you. I feel the same way, but I can look past it and see Raven has changed."_ Aurora said.

 _"I know Raven has changed, but we don't really know Grace at all. Grace was acting way too shifty for my tastes when you called her. I'm not sure if she changed like Raven did. Be wary."_ Aru warned. Aurora agreed with Aru, but wanted to give Grace the benefit of the doubt.

 _"Come on, Aru. Serena managed to grow up well despite her parents not being the best. Hell, it seemed like Grace moved to Kalos for Serena's sake from how she was talking about her."_ Aurora noted.

 _"Just because Serena is a gem, that doesn't mean her parents are the same quality. I can say the same for Delilah raising Ash. You can have some twisted version of care for someone and still be an awful person."_ Aru argued.

 _"…"_ Aurora couldn't respond to her because she acknowledged how true her statement was.

 _"Keep an eye on her. That's all I'm saying."_ Aru reiterated. Aurora nodded, but frowned.

 _"Noted, but I do have my duty to my people to fulfill here. Raven had a point about me spending way too much time in Kalos. A lot of people in Hokori was concerned about me and asked if I abandoned them yesterday. I can't snoop around to find out more about Grace and her history."_ Aurora said.

 _"Perhaps when we come back to check on Ash, we can try to look into Grace further? Raven should tell us what happened when she comes back."_ Aru offered. Aurora felt that was the best step going forward and agreed.

 _"True. For now, let's head back to the Midnight City Gym. I thought I'd be back in the Mystic Plateau for more challengers by now, but I don't want to leave Helia disappointed if Raven doesn't come back in time."_ Aurora decided.

Aurora decided to take Chi-Chi back out and request her to go back to Midnight City. Her request was immediately fulfilled as her Aspect of Loyalty nodded and teleported away from the Erudite Power Plant. As she was teleporting back, Aurora had to wonder if she had made the right choice letting Raven go on her own.

* * *

Alice and Serena continued to look through all the eggs in the sanctuary. Serena found herself amazed at the sheer variety and quantity of the shelves. She saw at least one hundred different species of Pokémon. She noticed there were a lot of brown eggs with creamy brown tips on top that resembled Eevee. The girl began to wonder who Marge's guardian partners were and if she just happened to like Eevees and have so many Eevee eggs.

The girl also kept a close watch on Alice. She didn't know this woman too well and although she was being nicer now, she kept thinking about how vicious Lupa was. Serena looked down and held the same place on her arm where Lupa first drew blood. Though the wound no longer was there, the damage Lupa did was still there. Serena looked up at the elderly guardian with a bit of a resentful glare. Their eyes crossed paths for what seemed like several moments. Serena wanted to forgive this woman, but she couldn't.

Alice noticed the sudden animosity from the girl, but didn't change her expression. They both knew Serena didn't trust Alice despite her attempt at lightening up the atmosphere. Serena showing her true feelings now that no one else was there was of little surprise to the elder guardian. Alice didn't know what to say and decided not to acknowledge it nor show any signs of antagonism toward Serena. If her actions caused Serena to look at her with a contemptible stare, her actions may cause the opposite effect.

Serena forced herself to stay calm in the situation she was in. She knew that she was powerless to stop Alice if she suddenly snapped to how she had been acting before seeing Ash again or had decided to fight her in the same degree she had fought Gordo earlier. She knew that she was in a disadvantage without Marge being there. Serena decided to focus on what Alice was trying to do now.

Although she was stuck with Alice until Marge was back, Serena had been surprised that Alice hadn't done anything fishy to her. Still, Marge not being here was causing Serena to be anxious. Marge seemed like she was more like Ash and Aurora when talking to her and she wanted to hold on to that feeling of safety. She decided to try to convince Alice to look for her. She had an idea of how to lead the conversation into what she wanted.

Serena decided to look around curiously again, gawking at the sheer volume of eggs Marge possessed. The girl figured that was a good place to start the conversation.

'How do I know which one will be for me? There's just so many…" Serena said with awe. Alice raised an eyebrow at the inquiry. It was like a switch had went off in Serena to where she no longer was regarding Alice with hints of hatred. Alice narrowed her eyes. She wondered of the girl's intent and rose her guard.

"The best way to know is have someone experienced look at how compatible a Pokémon is to your aura. Unfortunately, the best person who could do that is still gone." Alice said carefully.

Serena made a hidden smirk. Alice was now observing Serena's body language critically like she would against an enemy. However, it was more from caution than animosity. She saw the girl's facial expression showing signs of excitement when Marge was mentioned, despite her best attempts at hiding it. She wondered what she was excited for, though. Was she excited about seeking Marge or the fact that Marge was gone? She decided to go along with Serena to see what she wanted from Marge.

"Do you think something happened to Marge? I feel like we've been browsing for a while now. Is Mufasa Fields that big to where her rounds take a long time?" Serena asked.

"I don't sense anything wrong with her, but I do think she'd be back from her rounds by now. Perhaps something held her up?" Alice said in a way where she would find out Serena's intent with Marge. Meanwhile, Serena was ecstatic that Alice had said this.

"Can we check on her? Please?" Serena asked immediately, almost as if she was in a rush.

Alice tilted her head slightly at the response, then concluded that if Serena really wanted to do some harm to the facility, she wouldn't want to see Marge. Alice sighed as she figured the girl out. Her pangs of guilt intensified at the feeling of being regarded as a monster to someone else. Of course the girl would want someone else near her in case Alice did something. Alice would want someone strong close if she felt endangered, too.

"Of course." Alice said with an easy-going smile, trying to ease Serena, but failing to.

Alice decided to gesture Serena to follow her from behind to encourage the girl to trust her a bit more. Serena followed Alice's lead, but eyed her wearily. As soon as they went outside, they were greeted by Marge herself. She appeared to have just came back in a bit of a hurry as she was slightly out of breath. Alice immediately went to her to check if she was alright. Serena followed suit.

"Marge… are you alright?" Alice asked.

"Yeah… I got held up a little, but I took care of it. I'm only huffing like this because I figured you two would wonder what was taking me so long." Marge explained.

 _"Alice, I need to talk to you alone. Expect me to separate from Serena for a little bit."_ Marge suddenly said in Alice's head. Alice blinked at the sudden invasion of her mind, then nodded.

"So… did you like my selection of eggs?" Marge said to Serena. The hybrid nodded.

"How did you get so many of these?" Serena wondered. Marge made a small smile as she shook her head.

"Heh… now's that's a secret. Wouldn't want you to steal my technique…" Marge teased with a wink. She started to walk toward her house's backyard and gestured the two ladies to follow her. As they were walking back, Marge said, "You know, you two did interrupt something that I make sure I do every morning."

"I'm sorry. Was it feeding those Pikachu?" Serena asked. Marge nodded, but then shrugged.

"Well… that and feeding most of the other little ones in the field." Marge responded.

Serena looked at the old lady, somewhat impressed that she had the energy to do this every morning. Considering Marge's age, Serena would think the old lady would take things easy. Perhaps this was her way of taking things easy. That made Serena wonder what Marge had done when she was younger. They eventually walked back to where they first saw Marge.

Her backyard looked peaceful, but barren without all the Pikachu from the field. They noticed the large stump Marge had sat in still had a large hoard of Oran Berries right beside it. Since the backyard wasn't fenced from the rest of the field, Serena was surprised no Pokémon came over and took some berries while she was gone.

Marge suddenly planted her staff on the ground in front of Serena. Serena looked at Marge, unsure of what she wanted. She requested, "Serena, can you be a dear and call back the Pokémon with your aura?"

"Wh-wha? I'm a…" Serena started, but Marge rose her hand to interrupt.

"Hybrid, not a pure psychic." Marge suddenly interrupted her with a deadly stare. Though Marge couldn't see her, she could feel the girl's surprise and fear at the openness of her statement. Her cloudy eyes showed passion that Serena didn't see before, as if she was challenging Serena to deny her. The girl couldn't. Alice was watching the interaction with internal fascination. Marge said intensely, "I don't care how well Mew hid your aura. I remember your true signature from the first time I saw you in the Tree. I never forget unique signatures. Don't worry… your secret is safe with me."

"…" Serena didn't know what to say.

"You will need to learn how to mask your hybrid quirks depending on where you are, but that will come in due time. For now, I want to tap into your guardian side a little. Focus your aura on my staff. Let the Pokémon in this area know you're harmless. Once you can do that, can you feed them the berries I have leftover?" Marge asked. She closed her eyes and made an inviting smile. Serena still had shivers from her expression moments before.

"Um… I don't know how to." Serena said timidly. Marge raised an eyebrow, then chuckled.

 _"Confidence issues, huh? I wonder…"_ Marge thought critically. She decided to try something with Serena to gauge at how she learned best. All signs of her observational thinking were masked under a mischievous grin.

"You'll be fine… probably. Well, good luck! Come along, Alison." Marge said cheerily as if she didn't hear Serena. She abruptly walked back to her back door and forced Alice to follow her with her aura grip. Alice was surprised at the sudden turn, then shrugged. She wished Serena luck as well and told her to holler if she needed them. They were leaving Serena alone outside.

"Wait… I…" Serena said, but it was no use. They were already inside. She sighed to herself, "Oh jeez… how am I supposed to attract Pokémon?"

Serena stared into Marge's staff as she pondered on the old lady's request.

* * *

Marge immediately let Alice out of her grip once she went inside. She led Alice into the living room. Alice noticed that Marge could walk without her cane without much difficulty. The raven-haired woman wondered if her cane was for show or if Marge was appearing strong in front of her. Either way, she wondered what Marge wanted to tell her. She braced herself for anything.

Marge's living room was simplistic in design, but showed a bit of her chaotic nature. She had several vines as the border of her otherwise creamy wall. The old lady also had a small coffee table situated in the middle of the room. She didn't have a TV, but she had a couple of couches and a wooden rocking chair for her to sit in. She also had a small hole in the wall beside her chair for small Pokémon to wander in through. The old lady had a bowl of Pokémon food beside the wall.

On the wall opposite to her rocking chair, Marge had pictures of herself in her younger days, as well as pictures of Oak, Gordo, Alice, Aurora, Raven and Red and Ash when they all were young. Marge didn't have any biological children, but she loved taking pictures of those she cared about. Alice walked up to Ash's picture. It depicted Ash when he had been five when Marge had whacked him on the head affectionately. The child was knocked back from contact. Alice herself had appeared in the picture, worried, alongside Aurora. She thumbed Ash and chuckled to herself. Times were simpler then.

There was a cream colored Pokémon that seemed incredibly withered that was sleeping right beside the rocking chair. Its ears molded into brown leaves, chipped from age. Its brown leafy tail was curled around it neatly. Marge was tempted to pet her partner on the head, but decided against it. She figured her Leafeon could keep sleeping considering how early it was.

Marge watched Alice as she did this and sat down in her chair patiently. Alice stopped browsing Marge's pictures to give the old lady her undivided attention. Marge's face grew grim.

"Alice, I need to let you know what happened on my rounds today." Marge told the younger guardian.

Marge went into detail about her encounter with Raven and what Raven had told her. She didn't leave anything out, including the gruesome deaths of the two grunts and her battle with a mark influenced Raven. Alice looked horrified listening to all of this. Alice was thankful Marge was able to snap Raven out of her trance, but started to think about the Zurui spies. She looked down in thought. She then looked annoyed at herself and clenched her fist.

"I knew I sensed something off…" Alice hissed. She hated that there had been an enemy right under her nose and she had been none the wiser. Marge made a pacifying look to the younger lady and told her it was alright. She decided to continue.

"I'm not sure if Raven was successful in stopping Kovan from getting the grunts' message, but I want you to keep on guard for anything fishy in the upcoming days. If Kovan finds his daughter, I know he'll try to sway her from our side." Marge said. Alice looked down, frustrated at herself. She then started to look away from Marge's direction.

"… I… I'm not sure if Serena is going to stay on our side after how Gordo and I have been treating her." Alice admitted.

"Don't dwell on that." Marge said immediately. Alice shook her head and interrupted her.

"You didn't see the way she was looking at me when you were gone. I saw her true emotion towards me. Serena… had the look of someone both afraid and resentful, trying to find a way out of a bad situation. She thinks I'm a bad person… and she has every right to! I'm afraid she'll be more likely to follow her father's side because of what me and Gordo did to her. I wouldn't blame her, either. Ugh… I'm such an idiot." Alice said while holding her head, exasperated.

"Alison…" Marge didn't know what to say to that. Though she only could sense awkwardness between Serena and Alice, she had no idea what the elderly couple actually did to the young teen. She looked at her adoptive daughter, somewhat saddened. Alice took a few moments to try to lighten herself up.

"Thank you for telling me this, Marge. I'll definitely help increase the Tree's defense... and I'll keep a closer watch on Serena." Alice said with determination. Marge showed no emotion on her face. Marge decided to go behind her rocking chair and reveal she had an exact replica of the cane she left outside. Alice gasped as she knew what that meant. She backed up slightly from the older woman. Marge made a wide, mischievous grin.

"You know you sound foolish, so you backed up from me. Good girl." Marge decided to put away her spare cane and sit back down. She was rocking on her chair lightly as she said, "Despite your concerns about Serena's allegiances, I do believe she wouldn't go over to the Zurui willingly."

"What makes you say that?" Alice said, confused by Marge's confidence.

"She has a strong bond with Ash. That much I know from her aura. Their auras are not only compatible with each other, but also partially combined at some point. That's the purest form of love I can sense." Marge said with a gentle smile.

"…" Alice didn't know that her grandson was close enough to where his aura resonated slightly with Serena. Alice looked awed at her teacher's aura sense at work, but also noted Ash and Serena took a nap near each other at some point if their aura partially combined. Alice winced at the reaction Aurora would have at this and decided to keep it a secret for Serena's sake.

"I do not know Serena enough to make a proper judge of her, but from reading the aura not covered by Mew and remembering the aura I had read when I visited the tree almost two weeks ago, I sense a girl devoted to who she cares about and loves. That devotion is both a strength and a weakness, but in this case, it's a strength. If Ash is on the right path, so is Serena. I don't think your actions will cause her to be swayed by Kovan or his cronies." Marge said honestly. Alice made a sigh of relief.

"That's reassuring to hear your analysis in this." Alice said. Marge started to frown again. She seemed concerned about something.

"Do keep in mind that mind control can happen and is more likely to affect a hybrid than a guardian. Just make sure she doesn't get brainwashed by someone from the Zurui and I'm sure everything will be fine." Marge said in a light tone. Alice could hear signs of anxiety in her voice. She decided to call out her adoptive mother.

"You didn't sound too sure there. You sensed her latent power, too, didn't you?" Alice pointed out. Marge nodded.

"The ability to detach yourself fully from your emotions is a hallmark for a strong future psychic. Kovan is known for his skill and lack of emotion when dealing with foes and she inherited his power. Naturally, I'd be slightly concerned about another person potentially becoming like that. You must have been frightened when part of it manifested in her eyes and that caused you to take drastic actions, right?" Marge guessed.

"Yeah. I…" Alice looked sad again, but Marge forced her to stop talking.

"I already know how sorry you feel about your actions, so don't say it. All you can do is try to atone." Marge said in a stern tone. She then said, "In any case, we have to make sure this girl is brought up right and encourage her relationship with Ash to stay pure. Try and slowly build trust with her… and make sure you let your husband know of this."

"Got it." Alice nodded.

"Now let's check up on her. I want to see how she decided to do my request…" Marge chuckled as she got up and headed back outside. Alice followed suit.

* * *

 **A/N: A bit of a transitory chapter, yes? It sets up future interactions and all the like. I hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **Next Chapter: A New Beginning**

 **~SPG123~**


	20. A New Beginning

**A/N: As a New Year's special, I decided to release two chapters at once. This chapter in particular is by far my longest chapter for this book thus far. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I wrote it!**

 **Disclaimer as always: Story is mine, but Pokemon isn't.**

* * *

 _"It's so strange how life works: You want something and you wait and wait and feel like it's taking forever to come. Then it happens and it's over and all you want to do is curl back up in that moment before things changed." -Lauren Oliver_

* * *

Chapter 19: A New Beginning

Serena stared into Marge's staff, wondering how in the world she could get Pokémon to come to her. She knew that as an unfamiliar person, she likely wouldn't get Pokémon to come by her. If anything, she was likely to scare them away. The girl had no idea how to use her powers. She didn't like the Ketchum way of learning through a hands-on approach.

Serena began to think about a way to call over Pokémon. Then, her thoughts wandered to Ash. She remembered him singing a pretty song to call over his old Pidgeot. She assumed Aurora could do the same thing. Serena didn't remember the song, but she remembered the general melody of the tune. Serena wasn't sure if that would be enough to call anything, especially since she was only half guardian.

The girl tried to calm herself from any doubts. Though she wasn't sure how to call Pokémon through conventional means, she decided to follow what would be right in her heart.

Serena looked at the staff embedded slightly in the ground. It stood motionlessly, but Serena knew Marge wanted her to use it. The girl wasn't sure how. Though she wasn't sure what she was doing, she decided to try something.

Serena placed her hands on the clover crown of Marge's cane. She closed her eyes and concentrated her power on the cane. The cane resonated with Serena's aura and started to glow green. Serena's heart shaped mark appeared on her chest. As Serena was doing this, a man teleported several feet from her and sat down, taking in his surroundings. He noticed he was near a wooden house in a large field. Then, he focused his attention on the girl in the backyard.

Though the man couldn't see her clearly, he could barely fight the tears coming up in his eyes. He calmed himself and started to observe the girl.

Taking a deep breath, Serena began to hum the song she remembered Ash singing. The clover on the staff began to glow more intensely. The man glazed over his eyes in content seeing Serena trying to improve herself. He closed his eyes to listen to her voice.

After a few moments, a few Pikachu started to pop up from the field and head toward the source of the song. The man looked at the cluster of Pokémon indifferently, but noted the melody he heard from Serena and how she was using her power to attract the wild Pokémon. He got up and began walking toward the girl. As he did this, he made himself invisible so Serena couldn't notice him easily.

Unfortunately for Serena, the Pokémon did pick up on an unknown presence and started to run away in fear. When Serena opened her eyes, she noticed the Pikachu running away from her. She sighed in disappointment. She felt like she was close. She sat down in front of the cane, pretzel legged, and leaned her head on her hand in slight frustration.

The invisible man looked at the girl, feeling guilty for his intrusion. He cursed the Pokémon for their heightened senses, but wasn't surprised at the outcome. He was surprised when Serena looked directly at him with narrowed eyes. She got up and suddenly created a pink war hammer of destruction. Serena had an odd feeling inside her. She felt this exact same way when Rio had been hiding from her. She hoped her stance was putting up a good front.

"Show yourself… whoever you are…" Serena growled.

The invisible man raised an eyebrow and took a closer look at her eyes. He saw caution, but he saw something even more important: potential. He nodded to himself. Then, he did exactly as Serena requested and appeared several feet from her.

Serena gasped and stepped back in surprise. The man in front of her had a black and white business attire with a red tie neatly tucked in. His white collared shirt seemed to be hiding a necklace of some sort. His blue eyes seemed bright, but she saw hints of sadness and happiness in them. Serena was confused by the mix of emotions. The man also had wavy platinum blond hair slicked back neatly. He was tall… about as tall as Gordo, but unlike Gordo, he didn't seem nearly as muscular. He had a more lean, but toned build instead.

Serena could tell just by looking at him that he was an important figure. This man looked like he could blast away someone by just staring at them. However, there was a softness present. Serena could tell he meant her no harm, but she also didn't know his intentions with her. The way he was looking at her was both observing and longing. She put her guard up when he started to walk closer to her. She gripped her weapon tighter.

The man couldn't stop himself from moving forward. The girl was too captivating. Serena gulped when he caressed her cheek in less than a second after moving. He had teleported so quickly, Serena couldn't react. She was frozen in place. In her surprise, she made her weapon disappear. The man could not stop staring into her eyes in awe. He saw so much potential, it made him proud.

"I'm likely the one who scared the Pokémon away. Your voice was so pretty. That was a lovely performance." Serena noted the man's soft spoken, yet deep voice. It sounded so calm and relieving.

"Ah…" That was all Serena could say from the man being this close to her. She lost all sense of her bearing. She felt an urge to give herself completely to his hand, as it was a warm feeling she knew she hadn't felt in a long time. Her hesitance prevented her from doing so.

"You're so beautiful… even more so than I imagined." The man murmured softly. Every word he said was sincere and Serena was caught off guard by this.

"W-who are…?" Serena started to ask, but she had a sinking feeling she already knew the answer. No other person could make her feel a sense of longing.

"My hair… it's just as luscious and wavy as yours, though mine is a bit lighter. My eyes… they're as brilliant as yours, no? If you're anything like me intellectually, the answer should be obvious to you." The man stopped caressing her cheek and stepped back so she could get a better look at him.

"You… you're… my… my…" Serena wanted to deny it, but she couldn't. This man looked way too similar to her not be important to her. She said hesitantly, "…Dad?"

"My full name is Donnivan Kulan Kovan. Most people call me Doku because of my first and middle names, but with you? I would prefer it that you call me, 'Father'. 'Dad' or 'Daddy' do sound pleasant, too." Doku said, entertaining the idea of how to be regarded. Though he was happy to see Serena, his face remained stoic.

Meanwhile, Serena felt like she had a slight headache at the revelation. She never saw this man in her life. She felt an anger rise up inside her about someone she felt abandoned her and her mother. Doku seemed sad by this, but not surprised. Serena had so many thoughts filling in her mind.

This man was far different in real life than he was in the stories she heard about him. Raven and Mirabelle talked as though he was a horrible being through and through, especially since she manifested his mark. They've also kept any and all information secret about him. She had to wonder why. However, Doku wasn't giving her any bad vibes. Serena also kept in mind that he could be acting like this in front of her to catch her off guard. Her eyes turned analyzing. Doku took notice and internally smirked at the challenge she presented.

"You are my father! I have so many questions… like where have you been? Who are you really? Why are you in the Zurui? How come you're trying to seek me out now and… and… oh my Arceus, you're my father!" Serena said so fast that Doku had to take a few moments to process what she said. Outwardly, Doku had a neutral expression. Inwardly, his thoughts were cold and calculating.

 _"Interesting… I never recalled Serena knowing I was in the Zurui. The Ketchums or her mother must of told her to be wary of me. However, based on Serena's initial reaction, she doesn't remember me..., but she doesn't hate me. She's only cautious of me. This is a good thing. Trust can be built. Grace made a misstep not making her hate me. She'll never keep me from my daughter again…"_ Doku thought determinedly.

"Curious, are you? How pleasant. Your questions shall be answered in due time, my dear." Doku said with a smile. He could see that she was a curious sort and he liked that. Doku noted how easily he was able to smile in Serena's presence. He also noted how special his little girl was to do that. His expression became more serious as he replied, "Believe it or not, this is quite a lot for me to take in, too."

"What… do you mean?" Serena said with a tentative tone.

"Before today, I thought you were dead." Doku admitted.

"What?!" Serena widened her eyes at this. Doku seemed sad, as if bad memories were pouring into him. Serena seemed surprised seeing him like this and could tell he wasn't lying. That made her wonder why her father thought she was dead in the first place. It would make sense why he wasn't in her life. Serena had more questions to ask her mother the next time they spoke.

"There's so much I want to tell you, but time is short. In approximately five minutes should I not leave on time, Alison Ketchum and Margret Lunette would come out of that house, realize I'm here and attempt to attack me to drive me away from you. Ask me anything in that time." Doku offered.

Serena got annoyed when he said that. Serena knew from how he moved toward her that he was a master psychic, so to see him use future vision so easily wasn't surprising, but still impressive. She was more annoyed at the lack of time she had to see him.

"What...? Five minutes? That's not fair. You just show up randomly claiming you thought I was dead? It doesn't add up. Everything I've heard about you… points you to being a bad man, but... you seem so gentle. All of this is so… baffling." Serena admitted.

"I must be confusing your expectation of my personality with the reality of how I am. That is to be expected. My apologies for causing you confusion. I can seek you out again so I can tell you more, when you have no company by you." Doku offered. Serena stepped away from him with narrowed eyes. Doku didn't seem phased.

"I… don't feel like I should trust you." Serena growled in a low voice.

"Oh?" Doku said in a challenging tone.

"You're in the Zurui! Your team has caused so many people pain, especially to my…" Serena stopped herself from saying more, but it was too late. Doku had an idea of what she would have said next based on the people in his immediate surroundings.

"'My boyfriend's family', if I were to guess that is what you wanted to say. You stopped yourself, so I'm sure you didn't want me to figure that out. Am I correct?" Doku asked causally. Serena gasped and rose her guard.

"How dare you read my mind…" Serena hissed, but Doku shook his head.

"I didn't read your mind just now. I just happen to pick up on things quickly based on what I observe around me. The Champion's mother being in that house is a good indicator of what you may want to say. The Ketchum elderly doesn't like psychics or hybrids and yet you're close enough to them to be with one on your lonesome. That's why I knew you'd think about the Ketchums first." Doku started.

"My first guess would normally have been your mother, but you haven't mentioned her yet. In fact, you mentioned the Zurui as a general menace first instead of me directly. I find that interesting because it could mean several things. Either you have a strain within your relationship with Grace, she hasn't mentioned me enough to cause much resentment in you toward me or you resent the Zurui because of what the team has done to the Champion and her family. Considering the fact that you are with a Ketchum elder, I can presume you know much of the Ketchum's animosity toward the Zurui. Perhaps it's a mix of all of this. Feel free to tell me if I'm wrong at any time." Doku explained his thoughts to the girl.

Doku was only making guesses, but based on how Serena was acting, he knew all of what he assumed was correct. She stayed silent, seemingly knowing he would be able to tell if she lied. He liked the challenge of not using his power on her. It made the interaction much more rewarding to him.

Serena looked at the man, both in shock and in fear. Dealing with a psychic that has great mastery of his power without being too reliant on it was terrifying. Doku seemed acutely aware of this. He got close enough to where Serena could feel his breath. He whispered with his same analyzing voice, "Your boyfriend's name is Ashton Ketchum, right? From what I've heard about him, he looks very much like his father, but has his mother's aura potency."

"…" Serena narrowed her eyes and had to suppress a gasp.

She was feeling a pressure not to give Doku any more information, just like with the DDD. However, unlike the DDD, she felt like she was thoroughly outmatched. It was odd feeling this way, but also not feeling like her life was in jeopardy. Serena could feel her father testing how she reacts in pressuring situations. Doku seemed to have her exactly where he wanted her: on notice. He always enjoyed a game of wits and seeing his daughter react accordingly made him proud. He showed no signs of this in his outward features.

"Be careful how you react to your supposed enemy… or do you actually feel that way about me? Does part of you want to trust me?" Doku advised and asked earnestly.

"I…" Serena didn't know how to react at this point. Hearing his voice shift being cold and analytical to being warm caught her off guard. She sweatdropped at the question.

"Let's try to tap into that part a bit more in the future." Doku said with a hopeful tone. He looked down at his watch and sighed. He moved away from Serena and then made a sad smile. He said, "How unfortunate. Looks like my time is running low. If you ever want to find me, I'm usually in the Poison Toxx Company building in Doki Doki City. If security becomes irksome, let them know you're my daughter and tell them this code I'm about to give you. I would have let them know that only my daughter knows this."

Doku suddenly took out a piece of paper and wrote down: 01110000 01101111 01101001 01110011 01101111 01101110. Serena had no idea what this meant, but decided to put it in her bag anyway. She wasn't sure what to do with this information, but since she didn't want Doku to find out where she was living at currently, she decided to take in this information.

"What is the Poison Toxx Company?"

"The name is a bit misleading, but I'm the CEO of the company that converts the poisonous gas of the Death Zone into energy people around the region can use. It's made things more efficient and it limits the amount of gas that spreads around the region. It helps with tourism… as many people wear gas masks and explore the city and visit the first floor of the building. It also helps that the gym leader in the city is a Poison Type specialist. However, if you wish to call upon me directly, do so around this time in the morning and channel your psychic power through this. I'd teleport to you in an instant." Doku gave her a compact metal box with a small black button on top. It looked a little like a pager.

Serena started to inspect the pager and wonder what else was in Doki Doki City. She could remember all the cities in Hokori except for that one and she wondered why. The girl figured it had something to do with her father, so anything relating to him was wiped from her mind, but she was still curious about it.

"What… is this contraption?" Serena asked.

"I like to tinker with technology a lot and that's a little something I made in case I wanted to keep in contact with people important to me that doesn't involve a cellular signal. Serena, may I request something of you?" Doku asked.

"Y-yes?" Serena said nervously. She wasn't sure what she could do for someone like him.

"Do not let the Ketchums… and anyone close to the Ketchums… know about this encounter and any future encounter we have. Keep our meetings between us secret. I also will not tell any of my Zurui cohorts." Doku said. Serena crossed her arms at this.

"Really? I find that hard to believe." Serena snorted.

Doku was unsurprised at this. He wasn't sure how he could make her believe him. Then, an idea sprang in his mind. He didn't like the idea of making himself vulnerable, but figured if he really wanted to build a relationship with her, he needed to show her this.

Doku went inside his shirt and revealed he had a golden heart shaped locket around his neck. It looked exactly like the locket Raven showed her. The only difference was the picture inside of it. When she saw the picture, she had tears in her eyes. It depicted a young Serena being levitated in the air by a younger Doku. Doku himself had honey blond hair instead of the platinum blond hair he had today. They both was smiling gleefully. Serena thumbed herself in the photo.

"I… I... I looked so happy…" Serena said with a shaky voice.

"I always spent time with you when you were little. You were my pride and joy when you were small, but I never went to see you as you grew older because your mother fabricated your death in front of me. It seems afterward, someone took your memory of me. You really don't remember me, do you?" Doku asked with slight bitterness. He had his free fist curled up, slightly shaking. He couldn't bring himself to stay fully composed as the thought of what happened filled him with anger, disgust and sadness. Serena never expected to see a Zurui boss like this in front of her.

"I'm sorry…" Serena lost on feeling in her legs and dropped on the ground on her knees. She couldn't stop herself from crying. Doku gasped at this and immediately embraced the teen to console her. When Serena was small, her crying was a weakness of his and the same held true in the present.

Serena couldn't help but feel robbed. Everything Doku was saying was lining up with what Raven mentioned she did to her when she moved out of Hokori. Though she didn't want to draw any drastic conclusions, she couldn't help but feel betrayed that Raven decided to wipe her memories away. She decided she had to confront Raven about it the next time she saw her.

"It's not your fault. Please don't cry, my serene princess." Doku requested gently. He slowly got her back up on her feet. He started to focus on wiping away her tears. Serena noted how soft his hands were and the genuine concern he had toward her. It left her confused, but appreciative of his efforts to make her feel better. Doku then said, "Every morning, when I thought you were dead, I took some time to look at this locket of me and you and treasure it. No one knows I do this… except for you. Our interactions… will be just as precious as this locket is to me."

"…" Serena didn't know what to think about all this. She stared into the ground.

"I want you to trust me in the future. However, trust is a two-way street. Can I trust you to follow my request?" Doku asked.

"How do I know you won't try and trick me, though?" Serena said, still slightly guarded. Though the teen was surprised her father loved her enough to keep her in his thoughts when he thought she was dead, it didn't take away from the fact that Doku was a criminal.

To answer her question, Doku's blue eyes went from full of compassion from emotionless. They also turned silver. Serena suddenly felt creeped out by the intense yet detached expression on Doku's face. The impression she got that this man could blast someone away just by looking at them was manifested fully now. The only other person that she felt this level of intimidation by just looking at people was Aurora. Doku showed no signs of acknowledging his daughter's newfound anxiety.

"See my eyes? They look cold and emotionless, right? I didn't change their color until just now to show that I'm not influencing you. If I really wanted to, I could force you to come with me and you'd have no way to stop me. I have no intention to force my will on you." Doku explained with a cold, seemingly dead voice.

Serena felt her body lulling to his words despite him not trying to control her. She shook her head and closed her eyes to snap out of it. The girl, though acknowledging that Doku's power was terrifying even when he wasn't actively using it, was curious. She wasn't sure if she could reach the same level of skill, but part of her wanted to learn. She hated that he piqued her interest. Doku merely observed her passively. He made his eyes turn back to blue.

"That's how our family perform mind control on others. Notice that I've yet to use my power on you actively. I want you to be able to trust me. If you ever catch me trying to force you to bend to my will, feel free to close your eyes, knock me away from you with any attack you can think of and flee." Doku told her.

Serena really didn't want to trust this man, but she wanted to learn more about her past with him. She wondered if she could get him to leave the Zurui. It was clear to Serena that Doku loved her, which baffled her. However, if she met up with him, she wondered if she could help him to change his ways. Serena wasn't sure if she could, but she also just wanted a father in her life. Though her mind was saying it wasn't worth trying to get through to a criminal, her heart said otherwise. Serena only hoped she didn't regret her choice.

"You're so… open. It's strange to see one of my parents like that..." Serena said both in surprise in awe. Doku raised an eyebrow at this. Lowering Serena's emotional defense proved useful for more information about Serena and Grace's relationship. Though that hadn't been his intent showing Serena the locket, it was a nice consequence. Serena brought out her hand and said with a bit of a shaky voice, "I… I… will try to trust you and seek you out tomorrow, F-father…"

"Ooh… I like the sound of 'Father' a lot more now. Thank you, sweetheart." Doku said happily. Instead of shaking her hand, Doku focused his attention on the field, "Before I go, let me give you something for the first time in twelve years…"

Doku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He seemed to be deeply concentrating. He pressed the fingertips of his middle, index and ring fingers together and started to hover above the ground slightly. Serena was wondering what he was trying to do. Then, she saw several of the Pikachu that had run away earlier beginning to come back. However, they all had blank looks. Serena gasped and immediately shook him gently.

"Father, please… stop! The Pokémon… they look mindless!" Serena said in concern. Doku opened his eyes to reveal they were silver. He stopped levitating.

"As you wish." With a snap of his fingers, the Pokémon got their sense of self back. They all looked confused at where they were. Doku's eyes also returned to normal. Serena was surprised that the Pokémon didn't immediately run off. She noticed they were eyeing the food reserved for them.

"Did you actually mind control all of these Pokémon?" Serena asked.

"Yes. However, they are in a more dazed state than full on control currently. Do exactly what you did earlier to keep them here of their own will." Doku advised.

"Right…" Serena nodded.

Serena closed her eyes and placed her hand on Marge's staff. She took a deep breath before channeling her power on the crown of the staff. It resonated with her aura and spread throughout the area. Doku, all the while, was hiding a devious smirk. He gazed at the girl, both proud and scheming. Doku started to levitate slightly as Serena concentrated her power. He went behind her, and took out a very strange device that looked like a pen, but was anything but. He absorbed part of Serena's aura into the device and then placed it in his pocket again. Doku waited until she was done attracting the Pokémon to speak again.

Doku observed how Serena was able to use aura despite appearing as a psychic to him. He knew his daughter was a hybrid, but wondered why her guardian side was being repressed from being sensed. The platinum haired man hadn't planned on doing this, but sensing the energy Serena was using made him feel suspicious. Doku hoped that by analyzing Serena's aura, he'd be able to learn why. He wasn't sure if hybrids could naturally hide half of themselves or if there was something more powerful involved. He narrowed his eyes, thinking about it.

The Pikachu began to feel comfortable around the duo the longer Serena did this. Eventually, they started to eat the food reserved for them. Serena looked happy at the Pikachu eating. Doku looked at the staff and inspected it.

The platinum haired man wanted to touch it himself, but he needed to leave no living trace of his appearance here. Serena did a great job making it so that it would be impossible for his aura to be detected when she called the Pokémon over. Doku was wary of Marge's sensing ability being tied to what she touches and who she's near. Still, the urge to dissemble the cane filled him. Doku shook his head and began to focus on Serena again.

"Guardian and psychic power working together as one… didn't think I'd see that again. You've developed quite a bit of proficiency to your guardian half…" Doku commented wistfully. Serena looked at her father, wondering how distant psychics and guardian were normally.

When Doku said 'guardian half', Serena got a shiver down her spine. Doku analyzed her reaction to his statement and noticed she stiffened slightly when he made that comment. Serena realized Doku baited her into using her power so he could observe it more closely, but still played it off as though nothing was wrong. Serena knew he saw her use aura before making himself known, so that's why she felt like it was alright to do it again. From how specific he had phrased himself, however, she wondered if that had been a mistake.

On Doku's end, he concluded there was definitely more to Serena than meets the eye. He noticed she quickly normalized herself, but the damage had been done. He showed no signs of gathering information in his expression.

Doku said while looking up at the sky, "Guardians… have always been fascinating to me. Being able to control Pokémon while simultaneously having the Pokémon maintain their free will… is such an interesting ability. Makes me feel a little jealous of what you can do…"

"Were you… trying to bring these Pokémon over to help me?" Serena asked, acting as normal as she could. Doku lazily looked back down at his daughter with a nod.

"Yes. That song you were humming is an ancient, powerful melody called Relic Song. It has the odd ability of calling Pokémon for aid… or controlling them. I figured if you were humming that melody, you want to call over some Pokémon and I wanted to help since I did drive them away initially. I went a little overboard trying to assist, unfortunately. My apologies." Doku said while rubbing behind his head bashfully.

"Thank you for even trying to help me. I appreciate it." Serena said, despite her unnerved feeling. She knew he baited her, but she could also tell he wanted to help her in some way. What he wanted to find out from her outside what her aura was like, Serena wasn't sure, but she focused on the positive. Doku looked at his daughter in subdued happiness. He looked over her and sensed the two ladies approaching. He sighed. Doku wished he had more time, but what he learned was definitely of use.

"No problem, Serena. I must bid you adieu. I look forward to getting to know you. Now that I know you're alive and well… I'll see if I can try and make you the best you can be." With that, Doku teleported away.

Serena was stunned at the entire interaction. She had no idea what to think of Doku now that she'd witnessed him in the flesh. She couldn't deny that she looked more like him than she did her mother and the thought of thought made her nervous. She held out her hands and looked down at them.

For a split moment, she imagined Doku's hands as her own and got a shiver from it. Serena shook her head at herself. She liked to give everyone a chance, but something about Doku made her feel a strange sense of anticipation. As much as she didn't like to admit it, she found herself awed by his limited display of power. Serena wondered if she had the same abilities as him. Mirabelle never showed her how to do more advanced techniques, but she got the sense that Doku outclassed her as a psychic just from interacting with him.

Still, she was wary of Doku because he knew exactly where she would be. Her thoughts wandered to Alice thinking she had been imaging things earlier. Had she been spied on at that moment? The girl had no idea, but she knew she definitely was spied on at some point. Serena didn't know how to feel about all this.

Serena decided to tell Ash everything when she got back. Now that she had a chance to think about what happened more closely, she had a bad knot forming in her stomach. She knew she was going back on her word, but her father didn't seem completely trustworthy to her if his first appearance to her was being invisible while watching her. She had to wonder why he decided to bait her into using her aura when he saw her do it while invisible. The thought made her feel uneasy.

Serena's thoughts wandered to the other gift Doku gave her: the pager. Maybe she could get Pikachu to short circuit it. The girl took it out and inspected it. It seemed harmless, but Serena doubted it was as harmless as it appeared. After her day with Mew, she started to see some of her merit of not trusting people right away. Her mind was working critically.

Despite her unsettled feeling about possibly being spied on, she knew one thing. Doku didn't fake consoling her when she cried about the picture she couldn't remember taking. That sort of instant reaction wouldn't be faked on someone who wasn't concerned. Even though he was stoic on the outside, she could tell he cared about her in some way. It made her feel both fuzzy and odd.

Doku showing signs of caring also made her want to seek him out, if only to understand his motivations and possibly learn something from him. The girl wasn't sure if that was possible, but the longing in her grew. Serena wanted to understand her father and see him again, but she was also wary of him. It was a weird combination of feelings to have.

Serena barely noticed the two old ladies approaching her. Alice was happy to see that Serena managed to do Marge's task, but noticed she was deep in thought. The elderly Ketchum wondered why. Serena immediately put the device in her pocket once she realized the two old ladies returned. Marge was interacting with the Pokémon Serena managed to attract. She was checking to make sure they were doing alright. The Pokémon was eating the food contentedly. Marge was happy.

Marge congratulated, "Nice work bringing the Pokémon over. Care to tell me your secret?"

At first, Serena thought Marge was talking about Doku's surprise visit, but then realized Marge was talking about how she brought the Pokémon over. Serena made a small sigh of relief. She then explained, "I used the staff you left outside to channel my aura, but noticed it resonated with my aura."

"There's a reason for that. Check this out," Marge suddenly lifted her grounded staff into the air without touching. Serena wondered how that could be until Marge revealed that the clover on the top could be opened. There, a small blue marble of living energy was shown inside. Serena looked at the bead curiously. She wasn't sure what it was.

"What is that?" Serena asked.

"An aura bead. Most beginners would be using this to help with their sensing. However, they can be used for way more, such as augmenting sensing ability and aura usage. Of course, aura isn't infinite, so if you use it to a certain degree, the bead will disappear." Marge explained.

"How do you create one of these?" Serena asked, curious.

"Simple. It's just a condensed aura sphere placed into a semi permeable see through ball. If you transfer your aura into something like that, it can be used for later use." Marge explained. She then closed the clover on the cane. "The task I had you do didn't use too much aura, so the bead is still intact."

"Aura is so… flexible." Serena noted.

"When the being in our universe that created it is flexible herself, it's no wonder that with some imagination, you can do fantastic feats with aura. Mew's imaginative mind makes what aura guardians and psychics do possible, after all." Marge supplemented. Marge then said, "Now that some of the field's Pokémon are fed and I've made my rounds, I'd say it's time for what you're here for. Based on what I've read in your aura, I have the perfect Pokémon to give to you. Follow me."

Marge started to lead Serena and Alice back to where all the eggs were. To save time, Marge decided to float instead of walking over to the breeding facility. As they walked, Serena couldn't help but shift her thoughts to Doku.

* * *

The three guardians managed to go back to where all the eggs were. However, Alice had Serena stop at the door as Marge when on ahead to find the proper egg to give to Serena. Once again, the two stood by each other in an awkward silence. Serena was looking away from Alice, focusing her line of slight on a few of the eggs o the shelves. Alice sighed, but didn't say anything. Truth be told, she was curious about what Pokémon Marge was going to give the girl.

Serena was still thinking about Doku. She didn't know what to think of him. The girl could tell that he was calculating in nature and was wondering how much of his interactions with her was calculating and how much of their interaction was truly genuine. The fact that she didn't know bothered her.

After a few moments, Marge was carrying a transparent cage-like capsule with an egg resting in it. The egg was predominately light green with a red and blue tip at its crown. Serena looked at the egg in wonder. She wasn't expecting to be legitimately receiving a gift and thought that this was another convoluted lesson or trial. She was surprised Alice was being sincere. Marge held the egg with extreme care, but was beaming.

The psychic guardian was slightly afraid to touch it. A living thing was forming within that egg and she didn't want to harm it. Marge chuckled and said, "This little buddy will be your friend as she grows up. Nurturing a baby to maturity is a good thing for a guardian or psychic to do at some point in their lives…"

Serena was a bit surprised Marge knew the egg's gender before she properly hatched, but then again, guardians seemed be able to sense nearly anything. Serena said, "Do you really think I'm ready for something like this? You barely know me."

"That sort of hesitance is why I feel this little buddy will be great in your hands. You aren't trying to take her from me, but is instead concerned about her safety. I like that." Marge turned toward Alice and remarked, "You can't deny this girl does care about the life around her…considering she was able to call over Pokémon, with them happy. Have your doubts about this girl been lessened?"

"Significantly so compared to the beginning of the day." Alice said with a nod. She noticed Serena refusing to make eye contact with her. Alice frowned and said, "Serena, if I make you uncomfortable to be around, then I apologize. I'll keep my distance from you once we return to the tree, if you like."

"Mrs. Alice?" Serena blinked her eyes at the sudden statement.

"I know from the way you were acting toward me while alone that you don't particularly like me. That's fine… but I don't want you to be terrified if you're alone with me. I won't bite… not anymore." Alice continued.

"…It'll… take some time before I'm comfortable by you. I can't just forget what you've done… nor can I forgive you right now. Still, I appreciate the apology and I'll try to not be so rude toward you. I didn't expect you to notice how uncomfortable I was." Serena admitted. Alice made an understanding smile.

"You weren't rude. It's perfectly understandable considering what I tried. However long it may take for you to feel better around me, I'll accept it. I just… well, if my grandson does decide to wed you in the future, I would like there to be less bad blood." Alice admitted, slightly embarrassed to be saying this in front of Serena.

Serena couldn't help but blush and look away. She had the same feelings, but didn't know how to reply. Marge chuckled at Serena's change in aura and could feel her embarrassment.

"Glad to see things are improving a bit between you two, albeit slightly. Continue to talk and find more common ground besides Ash." Marge acknowledged, "That being said, it will take this baby Pokémon about three days to hatch without any Pokémon assistance. Based on what I read in your aura, she has the highest potential of all the eggs here to be one of your Aspects. It really will depend on how your personalities resonate with one another after she is born."

"Do you know what type of Pokémon this will be?" Serena asked. Marge chuckled and nodded.

"Of course. I know her gender, after all. I'll leave you to find out what type of Pokémon she will hatch into. She should also complement those fancy performances you like to do very nicely. You want to be Hokori Queen, right?" Marge said and asked.

"The amount of info you can find out from reading my aura is both astonishing and horrifying." Serena said with a sigh. Marge couldn't help but chuckle at that. Serena replied to Marge's question by saying passionately, "Yes. I do want to be a great performer someday. I like seeing people smile and making people happy. If being Hokori Queen helps in doing that, then I'll pursue it."

"That's admirable. Shame I can't watch your performances. However, should you begin traveling Hokori formally, let me know and I'll go to the yearly one in Yousei anyway. You'd have to pass through Yousei to get here, but the distance between the two towns aren't great." Marge said.

"Yousei…" Serena thought about where that would be for a moment.

"That's where the first performance is held in the region. You have to win three performances to qualify for the Master Cup. Once there, if you defeat the other competitors, you then face off against the current Hokori Queen. Defeat her and then you become Hokori Queen for however long you can maintain it. The title used to be 'Champion of Performances', but it sounded too old fashioned to people." Alice explained.

"Who is the current Queen?" Serena asked.

"The current Queen is Melody, who is also one of the Elite Four. She uses a balanced cast of Pokémon based on her namesake: sound related Pokémon. She's also the toughest of the four." Alice continued.

"Wow. That's…really impressive. Scary, even." Serena said in awe. She never imagined an Elite Four member to also be a performer.

"It's the Hokorian way to train and better yourself constantly, though battling or performing. It's why this region is so tough. People don't really stick to one thing." Marge whistled with a bit of pride.

"You don't have to be as strong as Melody to beat her. You just need to be flashier. I think you can overcome her, but you will still need more experience. As long as you have a strong bond with your Pokémon, however, you can do it." Alice said with a smile.

Serena took in what Alice and Marge said. Serena could imagine herself making the people of Hokori smile and that made her visibly smile. Though she didn't know who Melody was, she saw the woman as a star to shoot towards. She clutched her fist in determination at having a better idea of how to complete her goal. Serena found herself getting excited.

Marge gave the unborn egg to Alice to carry and then began to search herself. Marge went into her rags and revealed she had been carrying an old wooden flute. She began to play it. Serena recognized the tune as the one she heard Ash sing when he was calling over his Pidgeot. She also noticed Marge was glowing green with her energy seemingly going into the ground. Serena wondered what she was calling over. The girl soon got her answer.

After a few moments, a withered Alazakam appeared in front of them. Serena was startled by the sudden appearance while Alice was relaxed. She greeted the Pokémon and the psychic type responded in kind. Marge stood beside the Alazakam with a grin.

"Meet Alazakam. He actually preferred his original species name as a name, so I never nicknamed him. He's my main method of transport of eggs for people who live in a faraway place. Alice, please give Alazakam Serena's unhatched partner and use him to return to I'm assuming either your house or the Tree." Marge instructed.

Alice nodded and handed over the egg to the psychic type. He then started to levitate as he forced Alice and Serena to be beside him. Serena gasped in shock, but noted that she didn't feel comfortable in Alakazam's whim. He seemed a bit bored, but otherwise attentive.

Alice said, "We will be going to the Tree of Beginning, Alazakam."

 **"Understood."** Alazakam said with a nod. He then said to his trainer, **"Mistress, after these two leave, will you have need of me?"**

"You can take a break after this. You've earned it." Marge said. The way old woman said that made Serena wonder what Alakazam had been doing prior to being called. Marge turned her attention to Serena and said, "Take care… and raise that baby right. Maybe you can get Ash to help you raise her, too."

Serena's face became completely red as she struggled to find a way to respond. Her heart was thumping really fast with the thoughts of Ash and her having a family. Outwardly, Marge was grinning from Serena's change in aura.

"I may not be able to whack you yet, but I'll always find a way to fluster you in some way. You cannot escape it." Marge laughed. "I may come back by the Tree in a couple of weeks to see how far you've come with the egg. I don't normally do this after giving an egg up, but I will do this for a potential Aspect."

"Got it." Serena said.

"Alright then. Alazakam, do your thing." Marge said while having her hands behind her back. Within a blink of an eye, Alazakam transferred Serena, Alice and the egg back to the Tree of Beginning. He had teleported right in front of Aurora's house. He gave the egg to Serena, saluted and then teleported back to Marge.

* * *

Serena immediately noticed Lucy sitting on the front porch, seemingly waiting for her. Her tail began to wag excitedly when Serena came and approached her. Serena smiled and petted her. Alice looked at the two with a sad smile, knowing Serena likely didn't know her connection to the Lycanroc quite yet. After getting petted, Lucy curled up and sat in front of the house again. Serena thought of this as strange, but didn't question it. She wanted to go to sleep herself.

Alice opened the door for Serena. They both noticed Gordo was sitting on the couch, thinking to himself heavily. To avoid any and all contact with Gordo, Serena quickly hurried to the guest room, placed the egg beside her, changed into more comfortable clothing and fell asleep. Alice noticed how quickly Serena had left her and sighed.

Alice decided to tell him everything Marge told him. He listened intently, scowling when he found out Alice had been spied on, but scoffed at the idea Marge had to encourage Serena's relationship with his grandson. He was frowning by the end of the story.

"Alison… why'd you make so much effort giving that girl that precious egg?" Gordo suddenly asked. His trance seemed to be broken upon Serena going to bed. Alice took the opportunity to sit beside her husband. She gave him a bit of a wistful smile, especially since he used her full name when asking that.

"It's an experiment." Alice admitted.

"Experiment?" Gordo echoed the word back at her in confusion.

"See… I don't know where her true intentions lie either. However, I'm using the newborn as a test to see if she is capable of raising someone someday."

"Really now? That's interesting. That's… also not a good test. A human is different from a Pokémon. You know that."

"Fundamentally, I disagree with you, darling. You're still raising a life to be the best they can be, whether it is a human or a Pokémon. I want to see how she handles having a bit more responsibility on top of trying to pursue her goals. Remember Happy's egg?" Alice said.

"Yeah…" Gordo nodded.

"Aurora ended up showing love and affection to the Eevee I hid for her. She later raised Ash and for the first seven years, Ash was brought up right by her. I wonder if Serena will be the same." Alice continued. Gordo couldn't help but laugh. It sounded ridiculous to him.

"You seem to be way more invested in the girl compared to yesterday. Thinking about how she would be a mother of all things… you think she'll actually be a Ketchum one day?" Gordo asked incredulously. Alice made a small, but embarrassed smile.

"Before yesterday, I would have said no. Serena has proven herself more capable than I thought. I think… I want to interact and observe her more closely from here on in. So far, she hasn't raised any red flags like Delilah or other psychics have and I'm glad for that. I want Ash to be happy. So, if Ash is happy with her, then I'll try to accept it." Alice explained her thoughts.

"I never thought I'd be hearing you say that about a psychic person." Gordo blinked his eyes in surprise.

"She hasn't done anything wrong… yet. I'll try to be wary, but more reasonable." Alice decided. Gordo suddenly appeared annoyed and shook his head.

"I don't think you should be accepting of her so soon. Betrayal always hurts more when you get too close. I'm still very apprehensive about her, but I'll… try… and I'm putting this loosely… to be nicer for your sake. No promises, though." Gordo said with a low growl. He seemed somewhat disgusted. Alice sighed in sadness. She knew he had more bad experiences with psychics than she did. She wasn't surprised to see him more stubborn than her. Gordo gave Alice a kiss on her cheek. He started to walk off, but he turned around and said, "I'm going to get back to patrolling the tree. I had waited for you to return before I would go."

"Darling, it's two in the morning. You should rest, too." Alice said in concern. Gordo shook his head immediately.

"No. I… want more time to think to myself anyway." Gordo declined gently. Alice looked at her husband in sadness. Whenever he was contemplating this much, he was depressed about something, but also knew to give him space when he was like this. Gordo stood in front of the door, but Alice grabbed his arm gently. Gordo looked at his wife, attentive.

"Come back at a decent time, you hear? Love you." Alice gave him a small peck on his cheek herself.

"Love you, too." Gordo said as he moved toward the outside perimeter of the tree. Alice decided to go to sleep herself. Unbeknownst to the both of them, a small pink feline-like Pokémon had been listening to their conversation and appeared in the living room. She seemed concerned for the future, though happy about Serena getting through to Alice.

Mew teleported to a now sleeping Serena. She created an aura sphere in her paw and pointed it at Serena's head. The psychic mythical Pokémon was glaring at the sleeping girl menacingly, but her paw was shaking. She sighed and got rid of her attack. Mew then grew annoyed at herself as she thought, _**"I need to do this. I normally destroy threatening seeds before they sprout from the ground. And yet…"**_

Mew was looking at Serena with a mix of emotions. She shook her head and thought to herself, **" _Ash… if not for your love for her…and had she not shown herself to be innocent during Alice's trial… I wouldn't allow her to continue living after her encounter with her father. Curse attachments. Still… I suppose if I can't kill her… I can at least help her grow into her powers… so maybe she won't side with him."_**

Mew laughed at how naïve she sounded. She continued in her thoughts, ** _"Blind optimism at its finest… I can't guarantee she won't at some point be corrupted by her father. After all, I couldn't discern he would see her in Hokori until after it happened. Donnivan Kovan... a future sight immune psychic… and a species of human that I thought was destroyed long ago. How obnoxious to see one resurface."_**

Mew looked at Serena with a sad smile and teleported away from her, deep in thought in how to interact next with Serena.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm not sure when will be the next time I will upload another chapter, so apologies for flinging you all on another hiatus after releasing two chapters at random. Some good news, though: as of me typing this, I am two and two thirds ahead in chapters. I want to update again when I am five chapters ahead. I've been focusing more on my studies as of late so I've been slow working on this story. I'm still brimming with ideas, even though I am slow with them. Thank you all for your patience.**

 **Please, tell me what you all thought of these two chapters. It's always nice to have feedback. I wish you all a wonderful day and a Happy New Years!**

 **Next Chapter: Budding Feelings**

 **~SPG123~**


End file.
